So, here’s the scoop: the world’s most highly anticipated ice-cream flavor, aptly named “Dulce Almond” will come from…. the United States!
 
Madison, Wisconsin resident Toni Gunnison, 40, devised a combination of caramel ice cream with praline almonds and a caramel swirl named “Dulce Almond” to emerge victorious in Ben & Jerry’s global ice cream challenge - “Do The World A Flavor.”

Gunnison defeated flavor finalists from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK. 
 
Along with her competitors, Gunnison traveled to the Dominican Republic to visit Conacado – a Fair Trade cocoa cooperative in Hato Mayor which is approximately two hours from Santo Domingo – to spend a week with company founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. The finalists’ imaginative ice cream concoctions were judged under the watchful eye of Ben & Jerry’s research and development “Flavor Gurus.”  
 
Among the wild and worldly flavors that Gunnison went up against included “Coconut Chaos,” “Indiana Cones,” “Coco Copbana,” “See You Latte,” “Might Mojo,” “Fairway To Heaven,” “Peace and Love Nuts,” and “Choco-FAIRytale.”
 
Toni’s nutty and creamy creation was picked from 100,000 flavor suggestions.  Ben & Jerry’s has a long standing tradition of turning fans’ suggestions into global successes, including iconic flavors: Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, and Chubby Hubby.
 
Ben & Jerry’s “Flavor Gurus” kicked off the competition in March 2009 with a global search of tastes and ingredients from all different longitudes and latitudes. Exotic mixtures such as kumquat and scotch, an elderberry flavor, and an old bark attempt which tasted like birch beer, maple syrup and cereal were considered. The most outrageous ice cream ingredients included candied scorpion and tarantula, and fermented fish!
 
“Dulce Almond” will be available as a special batch flavor at Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops nationwide on a limited-time only basis in 2010. 
 
In addition to the Fair Trade cocoa co-op visit, the flavor finalists joined Ben & Jerry’s employees on a community project to give back to Hato Mayor by building a playground for the local children of Yabon, which is a fundamental aspect of Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission.
 
Toni Gunnison, who has traveled to southern Mississippi to donate her time rebuilding houses for the less fortunate, was appreciative of the depth of the Dominican Republic visit.  Gunnison is a Journals Marketing Manager at the University of Wisconsin Press. This was her first trip outside of the United States.
 
Janine Sharell has more for CNN I Report