RICHMOND—Upsetting news for chocolate lovers—vanilla outranks chocolate as the top-selling ice cream flavor, according to an International Dairy Foods Association’s survey.

The IDFA discovered that the top five best-selling flavors in the U.S., ranked in order, are vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip and chocolate chip cookie dough.

Pecans are the most popular nut or nut flavoring, while strawberries are the most popular fruit added to ice cream.

Ice cream is a big deal in America. In 1984, President Ronald Regan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day.

Freshly-made ice cream is available at some of Virginia’s farmers’ markets and farm stands and, of course, there are local ice cream shops located across the commonwealth.

Jordan Berryman and her husband, Steve, have been making ice cream at College Run Farms in Surry County since 2006. They sell it to visitors who come to the pick-your-own operation.

“I would say that we have a tie for the most popular ice cream flavor—strawberry and pumpkin!” Jordan Berryman exclaimed. “Our customers love our strawberry ice cream in the spring and then our pumpkin ice cream in the fall.”

Berryman said they also make a blueberry ice cream during the summer, along with the occasional chocolate and vanilla. “We make ice cream for about six months from May through October, with the exception of the month of August.”

Media: Contact Sara Owens, VFBF communications, at 804-290-1133.