MANILA, Philippines – It’s Valentine’s season, and you know what that means for local ice cream shop Sebastian’s – it’s the release of its annual Valentine’s Collection of quirky flavors and witty names!

Whether you’re looking for a Matinong Boyfriend or Girlfriend this year or if Closure is your goal, Sebastian’s has a new tongue-in-cheek flavor for you. Of course, Sebastian’s notorious Unresolved Issues flavor bitterly stays the same.

The most unique flavor this year is probably the Matinong Girlfriend 2024: The Blue Cheese Buffalo Wing! The concept comes from “boldness, daring flavors, and ‘more is more’ maximalism,” Sebastian’s said, and is probably the wildest Valentine’s flavor yet. It’s Sebastian’s artisanal blue cheese ice cream that comes with a topping of chicken skin chicharon and a thick buffalo wing sauce.

The chunky but smooth blue cheese ice cream – as a blue cheese fanatic – is a winner, and is really potent, rich, and pungent (just how I like it). It is an acquired taste, however, to enjoy it with the buffalo wing sauce, which really does taste like it belongs on a good chicken wing from my favorite wings joint. It’s a 100% savory flavor with a lot of tang and lingering spice. Adding honey to the blue cheese ice cream for a balance of sweetness made the unconventional experience better.

“We imagine people will either love or hate this flavor, and really, that does describe some of our most memorable dates,” Sebastian’s said. This costs P175 per scoop.

Other Valentine’s flavors include the Matinong Boyfriend 2024: Calamansi Pili, which is also a favorite of mine. It’s bright, tart, and all about that citrusy calamansi flavor. It’s calamansi curd ice cream with a viscous calamansi curd ribbon, made with hand-squeezed fresh calamansi and topped with roasted pili nuts from Bicol for a delicate crunch. This is the first Matinong Boyfriend to use all local ingredients. It costs P160 per scoop!

This year’s Closure: Thai Red Tea represents inner peace, with a Thai tea-based ice cream made from real Thailand tea leaves, steeped in a dairy base overnight and strained well. The result is a smooth and really strong tea flavor! It costs P160 per scoop.

Of course, Unresolved Issues 2024 remains to be the controversial Ampalaya Sorbet, never changing its bitter flavor that’s garnished with candied ampalaya.

“No change, no growth, no progress. The same bitterness year after year. This one speaks for itself,” Sebastian’s said. It costs P100 per scoop.

Sebastian’s Valentine’s flavors are available for the whole month of February by the scoop or by the pint from its flagship branch in Podium Mall. You can also order online. – Rappler.com