While you'd struggle to find an ice cream parlour without a scoop of chocolate or vanilla on offer, some take their menu far beyond the classics. It might be a temporary gimmick to catch attention or an unusual combo which works surprisingly well, but almost everything has been blended or mixed into ice cream somewhere around the world. Flavours like blue cheese, seaweed and basil, for example, might not be in supermarket freezers, but they're easier to track down than you might think, and even shops that don't bill themselves as adventurous will have one-offs and seasonal specials outside the norm.

Thankfully for ice cream connoisseurs, it means we have more choice than ever in the UK – and that's without mentioning the trend for East Asian flavours, increasingly popular choices like ube and brilliant gelato which makes us feel like we're in Italy. We're spoilt for choice. So, whether you're devoted to the classics or can't resist a wacky pairing, here are just a handful of unusual ice cream flavours that have graced menus. 

London's La Gelatiera has scooped no fewer than sixty-six Great Taste awards for its gelato, which includes combinations including basil and chilli and green cardamom. Another of its award-winners is its porcini mushroom, dark chocolate and Baileys number, an earthy, sweet blend which might raise an eyebrow or two but which we're desperate to try. Their flavours change regularly – you can find La Gelatiera (and classics including vegan Sicilian pistachio; and strawberry sorbet) in Covent Garden, Stratford and the Oxo Tower.

Ice cream and seafood might traditionally not go hand-in-hand, but the team at Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium in Massachusetts has been whipping up a lobster flavour since 1988. It’s thought to have started as a joke after a challenge from a customer, but it’s still on the menu today, with chopped, cooked and buttered Maine lobster folded into a butter ice cream base. 

We can't attribute wasabi ice cream to one spot, but its original popularity in Japan (either wasabi-flavoured soft serve or vanilla with freshly-grated wasabi) has spread further afield, and is a more common sight in the UK (so much so that Lidl launched a version in 2021). Far from a gimmick, the pungent heat of wasabi and the gentle sweetness of ice cream make a surprisingly satisfying combination. In London, Ruby Violet ice cream has served a horseradish flavour at its Kings Cross parlour (which it's also used it in a horseradish and lemonade float). If you fancy giving the combination a go, you can also try Tom Anglesea's jasmine rice ice cream recipe, which he serves with dulce de leche and wasabi.

The creative folks at Soho's Chin Chin Ice Cream are behind some innovative flavours – specials have included green grass (using parsley, lemongrass, rosewater, lime zest, lavender and honey), as well as clover (which is usually put back on around St Patrick's Day). There's also festive favourite Christmas tree, a cult classic which uses a mix of woody herbs. All their ice cream is made using liquid nitrogen – they've been described as the future of ice cream, so they're well worth keeping an eye on. You can find them in Camden, Soho and Selfridges, where you can try classics including burnt butter caramel, tonka bean and dragon fruit. 

Adding spice to ice cream isn't that unusual, but a handful of parlours have taken it to new extremes. At Sunni Sky in North Carolina, their Cold Sweat blends habaneros, Pequin chilli and Thai chilli (as well as extra hot sauce for good measure) for an incredibly heat-packed mouthful. You only have to eat a spoonful of it, but you must be over eighteen and sign a waiver first. A little closer to home, the now-closed Aldwych Cafe and ice cream parlour in Glasgow also required visitors to sign a waiver to try its Respiro Del Diavolo (or breath of the devil) special, which used Carolina Reaper chilli.

Anya Hindmarch might be best-known for bags and accessories, but every year she also brings an ice cream pop-up to London packed with unusual flavours. The Ice Cream Project – which was most recently held in Chelsea earlier his month – has famously featured bizarre flavours like Heinz Baked Beanz, Kikkoman Soy Sauce and Sarson's Malt Vinegar, while new additions this year included Branston Piccalilli and Filippo Berio Pesto. 

An Aberdeen branch of Scottish ice cream parlour Mackie's divided opinion when it launched a limited edition haggis and marmalade flavour to mark Burns Night, blending tangy swirls of the citrusy preserve with plenty of the savoury, spicy haggis (every tub contained one whole haggis). It might have been controversial, but it was brought back due to popular demand, so it must have had some supporters.

Soho gelateria Gelupo is one of London's most beloved ice cream spots, responsible for delicious (and normal) flavours like coconut and rum, pistachio, bitter chocolate and strawberry sherbet. But it made headlines when it dreamt up a coronation chicken flavour for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. It was made with an intense chicken jus, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper and marsala-soaked sultanas, and was served in a tub or on a toasted brioche.

Inspired to concoct your own flavours? Get started with our guide to no-churn ice cream.