The King’s bubble gum ice in all its shocking pink glory!

For more than 60 years The Lemon Ice King of Corona has held court on the corner of 52nd Avenue and Corona Avenue supplying frozen treats to Mets fans, neighborhood children, and even the local FDNY company. In an effort to squeeze out the very last bits of summer, I’ve found myself stopping by there rather often. And, since it’s going to be almost 90 tomorrow, I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you. Lemon’s the classic, but I also like orange/vanilla swirl, vanilla chocolate chip, and a newer addition, spumoni.

I’ve been branching out with the fruit flavors like the lovely cantaloupe, but the other day I tried a decidedly non-fruit flavor: bubble gum. Perched atop the medium-sized paper squeeze cop was a rosette of bubblegum pink ice flecked with yellow and green bits.

“Must have been some pistachio on the scooper,” I thought as I brought the ice to my mouth. It tasted exactly like the Bazooka bubblegum of my childhood, so much so that I found myself looking for a comic. Those little bits were neither fruit nor nut, but rather tiny chunks of bubble gum.  “ICES WITH REAL PIECES OF FRUIT IN IT,” as the sign proudly states!

Based on its position in the center of the flavor roster, bubblegum has been around for quite some time. Newer creations like kool blue and spumoni are attached to the multicolored wooden board with paper tags. The pink ice, with its sweet taste of nostalgia and odd bits of texture that made me wonder where they sourced the bubblegum, was absolutely delightful. Here’s what I’m wondering: what’s your favorite flavor? Let me know in the comments!

The Lemon Ice King of Corona, 52-02 108th St, Corona, 718- 699-5133