My family’s freezer is normally filled with a pint or two of ice cream. And when those pints are Häagen-Dazs pints, we’re all even more excited for dessert. No matter the flavor, we know it’s going to be filled with high-quality ingredients, taste even richer than generic brands, and satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.
My high regard for this brand led me to believe that the product was sourced from a fancy ice cream factory in Europe that has been operating for centuries. However, I just found out that Häagen-Dazs was actually started by a couple in the Bronx who just made up a Dutch-sounding name with no meaning. I just had to know more.
So, How Did Häagen-Dazs Get Its Name?
In the 1960s, two Polish immigrants from the Bronx, Reuben and Rose Mattus, wanted to change the ice cream industry. It was a time when competitors were cutting corners. But they wanted to make something better, so they developed a recipe for three flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and coffee) using the finest ingredients and featuring a new velvety texture.
To really seal the “fancy” deal on the couple’s new project, Reuben brainstormed what to call the company. “We wanted people to take a second look and say, ‘Is this imported?’” Reuben said to People in 1981. He played around with Danish-sounding names until he finally landed on the “playful made-up name” of Häagen-Dazs.
If you’re wondering what it means, it actually has no Danish translation. But in that same People interview, Reuben said they created their own meaning for the word. To them, Häagen-Dazs means “the best.”
To this day, Häagen-Dazs still prides itself on being and using the best. It has expanded its offerings well beyond the three original flavors and even form (its ice cream bars are arguably even more popular than its pints). Häagen-Dazs has begun phasing out GMO ingredients from its flavors and has tapped a new generation of tastemakers to continue the innovation of the brand.
While the name might have tricked you into thinking there was a Danish story behind the brand, Häagen-Dazs has never tricked its customers about what they’re eating in its products. It’s been the same commitment to quality since day one — and the proof is in the taste.
