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In the past, Overwatch League teams have collaborated with clothing designers, musicians, and trading card companies. Never shying away from a challenge, the New York Excelsior became the first esports team to collaborate with an ice cream company.
Salt & Straw, a small-batch ice cream company, created the “Lower East Fried” ice cream for the NYXL’s upcoming team day on June 21. Fans at the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles, California can try the exclusive flavor, which tastes like Korean fried chicken. Yes, it’s fried chicken ice cream.
The ice cream was created from a simple, salted sweet-cream base and then loaded with a few unusual ingredients. Black pepper, a caramel gochujang sauce, and actual pieces of candied fried chicken skins are mixed into the base. “The flavor has this really mind-blowing merger of ingredients in it,” said Salt & Straw co-founder Tyler Malek in a video posted by the team.
NYXL players traveled to Salt & Straw’s Los Angeles location to taste-test the final product. “It’s a little bit spicy,” said DPS Kim “Pine” Do-hyun after tasting a piece of the candied fried chicken skins. “It tastes like gochujang!” said fellow DPS Park “Saebyeolbe” Jong Ryeol.
“The origin of the team, the fact that all of them are from South Korea, was really fascinating for me,” said Malek. The Excelsior players all appeared to have positive reactions to “Lower East Fried,” remarking that it tasted like Korean fried chicken, as promised by Salt & Straw.
“Lower East Fried” will debut at the New York Excelsior team day on Friday, June 21. Each Overwatch League team has a special day during the season in which the Blizzard Arena celebrates their team. This includes signings from players and often involves limited-edition freebies, merchandise, or experiences for fans.