Rahm Haus Astrology
Astro-herbalist Robin Voves and Ice Cream Maker Jillian Duran to develop experimental ice cream flavors that align with zodiac signs.
Dabbler of Astro-herbalism Robin Voves partnered with Jillian Duran, founder of Rahm Haus Ice Cream, to align experimental ice cream flavors with zodiac signs. So, which Rahm Haus ice cream can aid you through your mercury-in-retrograde woes?
Capricorn
Burnt Milk-Spent Grain-Tamarind with a Toasted Poppy Seed Fudge Swirl
Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, associated with astringent and narcotic/psychoactive plants. That’s why we made a burnt milk, spent grain, and tamarind ice cream swirled with toasted poppy seed fudge. Capricorn is the sign that rules over our skeletal system and tamarind just so happens to be high in magnesium, essential for healthy bones. And much like Capricorns themselves, many people are either put off or won over by its sweet and sour flavor.
Aquarius
Coffee-Pastis with Blueberry Ganache
Aquarius was the trickiest sign to work with. We had to get conceptual and, just like the sign itself, a little weird. Taking additional inspiration from its modern ruler, Uranus, we went for a stimulating, euphoric, and potentially divisive combination of coffee and Pastis (an anise liqueur) ice cream with blueberry (a known brain food for perhaps the most cerebral of the zodiac signs) ganache.
Pisces
Blue Spirulina and Jasmine-Toffee Swirl
Pisces is symbolized by two fish swimming round a current and is associated with water plants. So we chose to swirl together two ice creams: blue spirulina and fragrant jasmine with almond toffee pieces. Almonds are both nutritionally dense and have a sweet scent used by perfume-makers. Pisces season is the transitionary period between winter and the start of spring—New Orleanians know that spring has come when the heady scent of jasmine begins to fill the air.
Aries
Milk Chocolate-Habanero with Pine Needles, Spruce Tips, and a Mayhaw Jelly Swirl
Aries, a cardinal fire sign, has an affinity for plants with thorns/prickles, as well as plants with strong, sharp, spicy tastes. We chose to make a spicy milk chocolate-habanero ice cream infused with pine needles and spruce tips, with a mayhaw jelly swirl. Mayhaws are a fruit that grows from spiny hawthorn, and making mayhaw jelly in the spring is a long-standing Southern tradition.
Taurus
Roasted Peach and Brown Sugar with Black Cardamom Crumb and Pomegranate-White Chocolate Ganache
Taurus is associated with late spring fruits, but also fertility and indulgence. For this ice cream, we roasted peaches with brown sugar and green cardamom and added an earthy black cardamom crumb and a pomegranate-white chocolate ganache to showcase Taurus’s rich tastes. Cardamom is the third most expensive spice on the planet and pomegranates are considered to be symbols of fertility and abundance in many cultures.
Gemini
Matcha-Bergamot and Lavender-Mulberry Swirl
To demonstrate Gemini’s dual and airy nature we decided to swirl together two sherbets: energizing matcha with bergamot and calming lavender with mulberry. Both bergamot and lavender are believed to have aromatherapeutic and mentally beneficial properties. Mulberries ripen during Gemini season here in Louisiana and are high in antioxidants (along with green tea), which are believed to be connected to long term brain health.
Cancer
Toasted Milky Oat with Coconut-Banana Bread and Dulce de Leche Swirl
Ruled by the moon, Cancer corresponds to plants with high water content, fruits that are round or white, and anything creamy (the moon is the nurturing “mother figure” of all the planets). Milky oats are the same as regular oats, except they’re harvested at an early stage when the buds fill up with a milk-like fluid. Dulce de leche translates to “candy made from milk.
Leo
Corn-Saffron-Orange Habanero with a Navel Orange-Satsuma-Orange Blossom Swirl
Leo is ruled by the sun who holds dominion over the vast majority of plants, as you can imagine. With such a flamboyant, attention-demanding sign, the question becomes: what not to put into a Leo ice cream? Orange citruses are an obvious association because of their shape and color, but Leo also rules over orange and yellow flowers and warm spices. So we decided to create something bright with heat, just like the sun.
Virgo
Hazelnut-Lemongrass with Multigrain Cookies and Blonde Chocolate Pearls
Virgo rules over all cereal plants traditionally harvested during its season as well as issues concerning home and hearth. Lemongrass contains similar brain and nervous system benefits as other citrus oils as well as disinfecting and digestive properties. In hoodoo, it’s also used to spiritually “clean” the house. The Celts believed that hazelnuts give you wisdom and inspiration, and hazel is a traditional material for making livestock, garden fences, and baskets.
Libra
Elderberry with Honey-Apple Compote and Thyme Pie Crust
Libra is associated with early fall fruits, but also love and beauty. Thyme and apples are commonly featured in autumn dishes but they’re also a frequent ingredient of love spells. Thyme, elderberry, and honey are all believed to have skin benefitting properties and can still be found in our modern day beauty products.
Scorpio
Galangal and Sage with Damiana-soaked Babas
Scorpio shares some of the same affinities as Aries—plants, but also foods that would be considered aphrodisiacs. Scorpio’s modern ruler, Pluto, is associated with all things hidden a.k.a. the “occult.” Galangal is referred to as “chewing John” and “court case root” in hoodoo folk magic traditions. Sage has long had an association with the occult, while Damiana, believed to be an aphrodisiac, comes in a fertility goddess-shaped bottle reminiscent of the Venus of Willendorf.
Sagittarius
Vanilla Bean-Juniper Berry Ice Cream with Maple-candied Walnuts and a Marshmallow Swirl
The season of Sagittarius exists in the interim between fall and the official start of winter, when our ancestors would’ve been storing up supplies and harvesting from syrup-yielding trees. For these reasons, we made an aromatic vanilla bean and juniper berry-flavored ice cream with maple-clove-candied walnuts, swirled with marshmallow. Sagittarius rules the roots of the marshmallow plant—it’s used to make marshmallows and also has medicinal properties to treat seasonal coughs and colds.
