U.S. Welcomes Magnum Bars

Have you ever tasted the delicious ice cream on a stick known as the Magnum Bar?  If you have lived in the United States your whole life, then you probably haven't.  Well let me fill you in on my worldwide love affair with Magnum bars.  

Growing up in China we loved eating Magnum bars, because an ice cream bar was the only halfway decent ice cream we could find.  My brother David and I would ride our bikes to the little store in our neighborhood, fill our baskets with Magnum bars, and bring them home for everyone.  When I returned to China in high school for a summer trip, I was excited to have my fill of Magnum bars (and you can't beat less than $1 a piece!).  I think one day I actually ate six.  In my defense, I was teaching English at a summer camp for kids.  Imagine American camp food.... now imagine Chinese camp food.  Yes, that is why I had no choice but to eat ice cream for every meal.  When I was flying to Romania before college, I saw a Magnum bar in the Munich airport.  I think I paid about $6 for it, but I was so excited to find one that I just had to have it!  When I went to Venezuela for a trip during college, I introduced everyone to the deliciousness that is Magnum bars.   

The Venezuelan Magnum bar man!

When I was in China for the summer with the State Department, I again had my fill of Magnum bars.  

Here I am eating my first one of the summer:

Compared to Ben & Jerry's or Häagen Dazs, I will admit the Magnum Bar is not your top quality ice cream.  But something about seeing that package takes me back to life in China and the comfort food that the Magnum bar was there.  Plus it also now reminds me of a lot of my other trips to various countries.  I never thought the day would come that I would see a Magnum bar in an American grocery store.  But, just a couple of weeks ago, Magnum bars came to the U.S.  You can now buy them at least at Wal-Mart and Food Lion.  When I was visiting my parents last week, I bought us a box to reminisce.

It is weird to not see any Chinese on the package.

So go buy a box of Magnum bars (I recommend the classic) and try them.  If you don't think they taste that great, close your eyes, imagine you've just walked around a smoggy city in 110 degree weather and haven't had American food in weeks.  I promise that then you will think it is the best thing you've ever tasted.