ICE CREAM SCIENTIST

Ever wondered how new ice cream flavours are created? Meet Corporal (CPL) (NS) Herman Teo, the man who helps create sweet or bitter memories - literally - by inventing new flavours.

Thinking about ice cream brings a smile to the faces of most people, but CPL (NS) Teo once made his boss retch after tasting his newly-concocted olive oil ice cream.

It was certainly not a prank, said the 25-year-old research and development technologist, better known as the "ice cream mad scientist" at local ice cream parlour Udders.

CPL (NS) Teo had drawn inspiration from the television cooking game show MasterChef, where he saw contestants pairing desserts with olive oil. He researched and discovered that the oil could be used as an ice cream ingredient, and that the flavour was available at cafes in Italy and the United States.

"But what I made turned out to be weird-tasting for my boss, probably because olive oil is normally taken hot with savoury and non-dairy food. We reasoned that Singaporeans may not be receptive to this exotic taste."

One-of-a-kind flavours

Despite his many flops since joining the company six months ago, CPL (NS) Teo has remained undaunted as he understands that failure is the mother of success.

It is this relentless spirit of innovation that spurs the creative team of Udders to introduce a new taste every month and to invent flavours which are distinctive to the company. The flavours range from liqueur-based ones such as Orange Choc Bitters (dark chocolate ice cream spiced with Triple sec, an orange liqueur) to Asian-inspired flavours including Mao Shan Wang Durian (a type of premium durian).

The flavour creation process takes up to two months and starts with a brainstorming session. The team, which comprises CPL (NS) Teo, his boss and another colleague, gathers ideas from their daily experiences, flavour guidebooks as well as flavour boards where customers are invited to write suggestions for new flavours.

Creative work

To date, CPL (NS) Teo has created and improved four ice cream flavours, which include Sojurt (yoghurt with Korean rice wine), Lemoncello Sorbet (made from French lemon liqueur and fresh lemons), Cowfee (coffee ice cream) and Peanut Butter Crunch.

Apart from flavour conceptualisation and enhancement, he occasionally designs marketing collateral for the company, utilising the skills he acquired during National Service (NS).

A former staff writer at Army News, a monthly publication of the Army, CPL (NS) Teo said of his NS experience: "I met many talented and creative people there; they taught me photography, web and design techniques, which uncovered my artistic side."

Bittersweet treats

One of the challenges CPL (NS) Teo faces in his job involves creating liqueur-based flavour ice cream, as he is naturally allergic to alcohol.

"I get headaches and itches all over if I drink too much, so I ll take a sip and spit it out, like what wine tasters usually do," said the Food Science and Technology graduate from the National University of Singapore, who has developed a keen sense of taste through his work.

He shared a little-known fact about liqueur ice cream, which Udders is famous for having an extensive range of: We always get requests to add more liqueur to our ice cream, but there are physical limitations.

"Our current selection contains 3 percent to 6 percent liqueur and that's the maximum we can go, because alcohol freezes at a much lower temperature than normal ice cream. Adding more liqueur means the ice cream will never freeze."

Although CPL (NS) Teo has launched a career he never imagined, he relishes the gastronomic experience and has even set a high target for himself.

"I hope that someday, I can be famous enough for people to associate my name with good ice cream," said CPL (NS) Teo, beaming. He added that plans to fulfil his aspiration, which include setting up an Udders blog to share his insights on ice cream, are well under way.

"If you want to enjoy your ice cream, scoop it out; don't eat straight from the tub. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles ruin the ice cream and make it just a solid block of icy milk and cream."

- CPL (NS) Teo on how best to savour ice cream at home