Each month, Salt & Straw releases a new batch of flavors that represent the current moment -- a Lucky Charms flavor to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in March, a chocolate collection in February, champagne sorbet to ring in the new year in January . . .

Source: Salt & Straw

And each month, I run to the nearest location (in my case, the Arts District shop) to taste the new additions.

I was so excited to see what April had to offer.

Then I looked at the menu and, to my dismay, found "Chicken Tinga" and "Rice Shrimp Sushi with Lime" scribbled on the chalk board.

You read that right -- this was no April Fool's joke, but I sure felt fooled.

Back in November, Salt & Straw did a mashed potato flavor, which I actually found to be quite delicious. So I walked up to the counter to try the new bizarre flavors.

Source: Salt & Straw

First up, Rice Shrimp Sushi with Lime, described as “taking spicy and savory to the next level with wasabi lime ice cream with dried shrimp rice crispies.”

It wasn't awful, the ice cream was actually kind of good -- Sundaes and Cones in NYC does a wasabi ice cream and it actually works really well.  The hint of lime is a nice touch, too. But when you try to add rice crispies to ice cream, you might be able to guess that the once-crunchy crispies turn into an unfavorably soggy mush. I didn't even notice an especially shrimpy flavor, but that texture was enough to ruin everything for me.

Source: Salt & Straw

Next was the Chicken Tinga -- “a chicken and chipotle flavored ice cream with sour cream swirls and a helping of tostadas for a little extra crunch.”

You guys. Don't try turning chicken into ice cream. Just. Don't. Do it. While the flavor was still subtle enough to barely notice the chicken flavor, there's something about the psychology of knowing you're eating chicken-flavored ice cream. And the addition of sour cream swirls just reminds you that you're eating something that's meant to be savory. It's a weird mix of creamy and creamier that is just too much to cope with. And those tostadas? No crunch, just more of that soggy mush that I came to know so well after attempting the shrimp sushi flavor. Grainy corn tortilla is just as bad as mushy rice crispies, it turns out.

Source: Salt & Straw

I found out that for April, Salt & Straw joined forces with local schools and let kids come up with the new flavors. Each scoop purchased means a donation to that school, which I think is amazing -- everyone should go buy some for that reason. I just have trouble imagining what kind of kid comes up with these flavors, or ones like "Pineapple-Star Anise Ripple with Honeycomb Brittle" or "Dinner for Dessert" (both available at other Salt & Straw locations). When I was a kid, I dreamt of rainbow sherbet and mint chocolate chip, not shrimp or honeycomb.