“Go out and buy a Drumstick”: Why food writer Corby Kummer isn’t mourning the death of the Choco Taco

To borrow the famous sentiment from songwriter Joni Mitchell, “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.”

This week, ice cream manufacturer Klondike announced the discontinuation of their popular taco-shaped ice cream snack the Choco Taco.

Choco Tacos have been around since the 80’s, and news of the snack’s demise was widely lamented across the internet.

Speaking Tuesday on Boston Public Radio, food writer Corby Kummer called the Klondike brand “wonderful,” “nostalgic,” and “iconic,” noting the Choco Taco’s unique appeal in the landscape of novelty ice cream.

“[Klondike] had a very clever idea, which is to package in a taco shape, vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered so-called taco shell – and then, nuts that go all around the semi-circle of the taco… that means you can mix the chocolate and nuts and the wafer more in every bite, ‘cause it’s more distributed when you just think of the shape,” Kummer said.

For those upset about the news, he added that Klondike already offers several similar alternatives to the taco-shaped treat.

“Go out and buy a Drumstick,” Kummer said. “It’s the same ingredients in a different shape and you’ll still be a happy ice cream fan.”

For fans discouraged by Klondike’s decision, he added that there are several other ice cream brands offering similar products.

"You can boycott Klondike and go for rival products that have the same ingredients in them,” he joked.

Kummer is executive director of the food and society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.