today, Americans and Australians eat the most ice cream of anyone in the world, according to market research firm Euromonitor, but almost every country enjoys it-and the cultural interpretations vary according to palates. As you travel to Eastern cultures, for instance, the ice cream tends to be less sweet. "Here we gravitate toward candy and cookies in our ice cream, but other countries gravitate toward fruits, tea, or spices," says Stan Frankenthaler, the director of culinary development for Baskin-Robbins, which has shops in more than 35 countries. Its 31 flavors change as you travel: a saffron ice cream has been a big hit in the Middle East, while a chocolate-peanut-butter combo has a failure almost everywhere except here in the U.S.