We were super excited to try them out again. According to what he gathered, a batch of Ice Choc boxes was sold in just 2 hours. That's when we realised, "we're not alone, and we've got to be faster."
A Little Bit Of History
The history of Alerics runs all the way back to the '40s. Alerics De Silva Wimalarathne, who studied and lived in Australia, returned to Sri Lanka in the late 1940s, with a plan to start a business. The knowledge he gathered about the ice cream industry in Australia was put into good use when he ventured into Alerics.
Image source: ceylonguide
In the beginning, the ice creams made by Alerics were sold by ice cream vans parked at popular public places, like playgrounds and carnivals, in Colombo and down south. It became an instant hit; everyone loved it, due to its pure taste, the creamy texture and the ability to beat the scorching Sri Lankan heat.
Image source: ceylonguide
This loyal fan base grew even further with the opening of Piccadilly Café in Wellawatte. This venture by Alerics was the most popular hangout spot in Colombo back in the '60s.
The happy momentum successfully continued to the '70s too, but later on, slowly went down, due to the arrival of major scale ice cream manufacturers, and their powerful marketing campaigns. Afterwards, they kept the operations low key, but came back with a bang very recently, with a whole lot of new, improved set of flavours, and yes, the nostalgic Ice Choc!
The Ice Chocs
Priced at Rs. 380, a box of Alerics Ice Chocs contains 6 bars (75 ml each). If you're opting for a single bar, it's only Rs. 60.
The wrapper looks a little different now. As I remember, back then it was this vibrant blue colour wrapper with a drawing of the upper half of a face. Plus, those days, it was called the Icey Choc.
Diving into this ice cream bar sparked our delightful childhood memories. It's still the same simple flavour combo; vanilla ice cream, coated with milk chocolate.
The chocolate coating is thin and easy to bite into, and has a rich flavour, while the vanilla ice cream is incredibly creamy, wonderfully milky and absolutely tasty. The sweetness isn't overwhelming, and the two flavours complement each other so well.
All in all, it makes for a fine summertime treat, which is pretty much every day in Sri Lanka. Even the look itself gives so much comfort and satisfaction, while the flavours have this amazing ability to transport you decades back. In my case, it took me to a simpler time, when I was just a 3-year old in a movie theatre, watching The Jungle Book while enjoying an Alerics ice choc.
