King of Pops releases eight new flavors inspired by World Cup teams
King of Pops makes World Cup inspired popsicles
A local dessert favorite is bringing international soccer flavor to Atlanta with a special line of tournament-inspired popsicles.
ATLANTA - A local dessert favorite is bringing international soccer flavor to Atlanta with a special line of tournament-inspired popsicles.
What we know:
King of Pops is releasing eight new popsicle flavors to celebrate the World Cup coming to Atlanta. The flavors are inspired by the U.S. men’s national team as well as seven of the nine teams scheduled to play in the city during the group stage. According to co-founder Steve, the brand has created more than 500 unique options over the years but wanted to challenge itself with unfamiliar international profiles. Research and development specialist Jessica conducted extensive outreach and research to capture authentic culinary elements from the participating countries that would translate well into a frozen pop.
The special collection features a savory and sweet zucchini and honey flavor representing Saudi Arabia, which won an internal company bracket competition. Other varieties include a South African passion fruit and orange blend, a Moroccan mint tea option, an American version layered with strawberry, vanilla ice cream and blueberry, and an Uzbekistan-inspired cherry and apricot compote. The treats are being distributed at sales carts operating throughout the Southeast region.
What we don't know:
Company officials have not yet confirmed the exact timeline for how long the special tournament flavors will remain available at regional carts. It also remains unclear which specific match tickets will be included in the promotional ticket giveaway or how many total winners will be selected from the public raffle.
The backstory:
The creative process involved vetting numerous traditional ingredients to ensure they would appeal to consumers. The culinary team chose to skip certain regional staples, such as specific curded cheeses, in favor of refreshing fruit and tea profiles that best suit hot summer conditions. Though the U.S. team is not locked into playing its initial group stage matches directly inside Atlanta, company leadership designed a themed red, white and blue option with the expectation that the team could advance to the city during later bracket rounds of the tournament.
What you can do:
Fans looking to secure exclusive gear can track down the limited-edition lineup across the region. The first 100 people to successfully collect all eight tournament flavors will receive an exclusive King of Pops merchandise scarf. Additionally, the business is hosting an online raffle connected to the product launch, allowing customers to enter for a chance to win tickets to attend some of the upcoming soccer matches.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from King of Pops co-founder Steve and the company's research division, who detailed the development of the menu, as well as an on-site flavor evaluation conducted by FOX 5 Sports reporter Kelly Price.