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As a delicacy with relative affordability and universal appeal, ice cream is one of those products that serves as a barometer of the times. We’ve covered ice cream innovations at the high end—such as the Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream Company and its locally sourced, hormone-free ice creams in flavours like ginger, giandujia and red currant—as well as convenience-focused novelties like the MooBella vending machine. Next up? Simplicity, if the Häagen-Dazs Five line is any indication. Häagen-Dazs Five is a new, all-natural ice cream crafted with only five ingredients: skim milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks and natural flavouring. Available in mint, ginger, coffee, vanilla bean, passion fruit, brown sugar and milk chocolate, the Five line also includes less fat than Häagen-Dazs’s other ice creams, the company says. It’s now available in stores, and an online flavour finder helps identify availability by ZIP code. Pricing is roughly USD 7 per pint. Pure, natural, simple—in today’s ailing economic climate, such adjectives hold a nostalgic appeal. Everyday consumers may not be able to afford the big luxuries, but at least there’s still good, old-fashioned ice cream! 😉 Spotted by: Andrea Jones