Across cultures and cuisines, cooks use tangy, juicy pickles to balance the heat in spicy, heavy dishes. Around the world, sun bathers beat scorching temperatures with velvety ice cream. At Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co. in New York City, chefs serve noodles and dumplings that pack both forms of heat and combat their effects by offering the ultimate cooling treat: pickle-flavored soft serve.

Tasters note that the dessert is closer to cucumber soft serve, because it’s made with fresh-pressed cucumber juice. The finished product is refreshing, not too cloying, and light-yet-creamy. The chef uses pickle juice (or technically, brine) in much smaller quantities to impart a subtle, salty bite. Lucky Pickle acquires signature brine from their sister establishment, which is known for their house-made pickles. Never before has soft serve been so fresh and so green.