Sprinkles are a fun ice cream topping. Courtesy | Wikimedia Commons

Sprinkles on ice cream invokes nostalgia. It takes me back to childhood trips with my family when we would get ice cream on hot summer days. 

Summer vacation wasn’t ever complete without taste testing the local ice cream shops at least once…or twice… OK three times. My fondest memory of a vacation ice cream shop was a place in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, called The Sweet Spot.

Sprinkles bring joy and are the perfect topping for ice cream. They make me feel like a kid without a care in the world. 

While perhaps sprinkles don’t pair well with all types of ice cream, there can be no doubt that they add a certain aesthetic to many kinds. When it comes to soft serve, sprinkles make everything better. 

The smoothness of the soft serve becomes monotonous without a bit of crunch from chocolate or rainbow sprinkles.

Along with improving texture, sprinkles contribute to the visual beauty of ice cream. Plain vanilla or chocolate suddenly pops with color. Not only is this an awesome photo-op, but it increases the appeal for the consumer.

Sometimes people complain that sprinkles turn their mouths different colors. They feel embarrassed when sprinkles get stuck in their teeth while they are in public. But these concerns entirely defeat the purpose of sprinkles. 

Sprinkles were never meant to be dignified. They are meant to be enjoyed without worrying about the judgemental ignorance of others. 

As a busy college student, sprinkles are one of the little things that remind me not to take life too seriously.

As Socrates probably thought to himself once, “Strong minds eat sprinkles, average minds look at sprinkles, and weak minds turn up their noses at sprinkles.” 

Joking aside, I love the way sprinkles feel in my mouth, and how they coat it with a waxy film. This may seem odd, but this sensory experience gives me a taste of home and reminds me of good spirited arguments over whether sprinkles are actually “jimmies.”

No matter the conclusion on the name, sprinkles add pop and pizzazz brightening up the day. They are part of the nostalgic nature of ice cream, and this is why sprinkles are a necessary ice cream topping staple.