The Internet Shares a Hilarious Fact About New England Ice Cream Parlors

One of the New England oddities that people from afar often notice is the number of seasonal ice cream parlors that exist in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island (sorry, Connecticut). Ice cream has become big business in the Northeast, as short summers and mass tourism have led to a surge in popularity for this sweet, creamy delicacy. But what really separates New England ice cream parlors from the rest of the country? It can be summed up in one hilarious but true tweet.

Shared on Reddit by Blue_Eyed_ME, it’s all about sizes in New England and how they really don’t make any sense. Don’t get us wrong, no complaints from the ice cream lovers department. We love that a small (1 tablespoon) can fill a bowl of pasta and we also love watching an oblivious tourist order a big sugar cone and then watch them walk away like they’re balancing on fine china on a broomstick. But if you’re someone who shakes your head at ice cream sizes in New England, you shouldn’t.

Almost everywhere in the country, your ice cream order sizes are much, much smaller. The closest comparison may be some of the ice cream parlors found in Maine, offering a small, medium, and large that would be acceptable in 45 other states. In New England, the season is short, and ice cream makers want you to live and breathe ice cream all summer long. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Where to find the best ice cream in each of Maine’s 16 counties