The other day, while waiting for a delayed flight, I was clicking around the Internet and came across this article about ice selling like hot cakes. It seems that there's a small percentage of the population who just love, love, love chomping down on ice. In fact, it's so popular in places — particularly the South — that chains like Sonic Drive-In are actually selling 10 pound bags for $1.49.
However, it doesn't stop there, it seems that ice-machine makers are competing among themselves to come up with the best chewable ice. They even have drool-worthy names like Chewblet, Nugget Ice and Pearl Ice.
The reasons why folks chew ice are all over the place. Some doctors believe it's due to an iron deficiency, while others say it's due to a compulsion. Either way ice chompers aren't stopping, they even have a support website full of stories and even recipes on how to make the best ice.
So tell me, does all this ice talk sound good to you, or does the idea of chomping down on ice sound terrible? Have you ever bought a bag of ice just to eat it?
Burner
3.1 Phillip Lim
Comme des Garcons
haha, it's funny seeing Sonic referred to as 'the Sonic drive-in'. =)
And honestly, their ice is amazing on a brutal summer day. Tiny little pellets of ice! I'm not inclined to chomping on ice, but if I did, it would be Sonic ice.
1I am a compulsive ice chewer. I just can't help myself. There's this one place where I live that's an old soda fountain in a drug store that has shaved ice....yum!
2I am a compulsive ice chewer. I just can't help myself. There's this one place where I live that's an old soda fountain in a drug store that has shaved ice....yum!
3I am a compulsive ice chewer. I just can't help myself. There's this one place where I live that's an old soda fountain in a drug store that has shaved ice....yum!
4I don't think selling bags of ice is new...you could always get them at the grocery store...but I didn't know Sonic sold ice. I think most people who buy ice are buying it because they're having a picnic or party and need to keep lots of drinks cool.
But seriously, buying 10 lbs of ice to eat it? I'm getting a visual of driving around in your car on a hot day with the bag of ice next to you. Wouldn't it melt before you could finish it? And if you're just sticking it in the freezer to enjoy bit by bit, why not make your own?
5Its my number one pet peeve. People chewing ice, it stops me in my tracks and makes my stomach turn.
Its horrible for your teeth, not to mention just plain crude sounding.
6My mom used to be an ice chomper until she swallowed a peice and my dad had to rescue her before she passed out!
7I have two co-workers who chew it compulsively, and at least one of them has an iron deficiency.
8I love love love ice. It's just so crunchy and good!
Also, sonic and ice that is simply delish.... I wish I could go pick up a bag right now, but seeing as I'm in the middle of a killer snowstorm... who knows?
9I am a huge ice chewer. My whole family does it, so maybe there is a hereditary issue...
10I love chomping on ice but we don't have an ice maker and I'm too lazy to fill the ice trays.
11i'm an ice chewer!
12No way. I never do.
13LOVE ICE!! i've never bought a cup (or a bag for that matter) just to chew on...but if i get a drink, it's nice when the ice left over is chewable!! and yes...sonic pellets are phenomenal...a lot of smaller barbecue joints down here in GA also have chompable ice!
14I don't chew ice much anymore, but when I was a kid, I did it all the time, especially in summer... my favourite thing was to dump some cubes into a bag, crush them with my mom's meat pounder (we didn't have anything at the time that would crush ice), pour it into a bowl, and eat the "ice cereal" (as I oh-so-creatively dubbed it).
15Yummy.
My daughter loves ice! she loves it so much she opens the freezer to take the stuff from the sides!
16I loooove chewing ice, though I always feel bad because I know it bugs some people so much!
17What does chewing ice have to do with an iron deficiency? I don't understand that.
18My restaurant is down the street from Sonic and our ice are even tinier pellets than theres. People come in and buy bags of ice. If not the pellet ice, people come in and buy bags of plain snowcone ice to chew on. It definitely is a Southern thing.
19Haha, well yes.. I admit I am an ice chomper. It's the only reason why I really like fountain drinks, because their ice is so chompable! I won't just eat ice by itself though.
20Brandi13jrm - I guess when some people are iron deficient, they'll get this weird craving to chew ice. It's a symptom, a pica.
21I chew all the ice that comes in drinks, but I have never bought ice for the sole purpose of chewing it!
22i really like chewing on ice, but my dentist told me how bad it was for your teeth, so i stopped.
23Ohhh I used to at my old job all the time! But at my new job, there is no ice machine!! I almost cried when I found out, chewing ice was my favorite afternoon activity at my old job
24I'm a total ice chomper!
25I love Sonic ice too it is so good it makes amazing drinks.
this is weird to me. i chew ice whenever i have a fountain drink. i wouldn't go out of my way to go buy ice though. can you imagine your friend calling you and going "i'm craving ice right now! let's go get some." haha
26Wow, my teeth are waaaaay to sensitive for that!
27Sonic ice is AWESOME. It's too bad that there aren't any north of Virginia. Their ice is good, and their food is too!
28I don't believe I've ever heard of such a thing before! Though I have heard of putting ice on your pores to make them smaller before applying makeup, so...
29I've NEVER ever heard of ice chewing before, seriously! Thats way too weird but I guess it is a obsesive compulsive habit thats less damaging than e.g. drinking soda or something. None of my friends do this but then again I do live in Europe
30I'm a closet ice chewer. I try to keep it to myself so I don't bug people.
31I don't chew ice but I met a woman once who loved the ice from Sonic so much that she bought an industrial-sized ice maker that made the same kind of ice that Sonic makes and she kept it in her garage. I personally think she had more money than sense, but whatever.
32Oh this makes my teeth hurt just reading about it. I'm anti-ice, order my sodas without ice as well.
33sonic ice is the best! it's all soft and tiny so i don't feel like i'm going to break a tooth.
34yikes. my teeth are so sensitive to cold just the thought of chewing a piece of ice is like a nightmare! I didn't know it was this big thing ...
35If I had a drink with ice, I would totally chew it. My dad does too and it drives my mom crazy. I guess I could have an iron deficiency – There's not any iron in cupcakes is there, Yum?
36Mmmm ice. :chomp: :chomp: :chomp: I won't go out of my way to buy ice to chomp. only when it's in my drink.
and we don't have any sonics (that i know of) here in the south bay.
37I will chomp on the last bit of ice in my cup. No ice escapes me...that's kinda sad.
38I never chew ice cubes.
39i'm definitely in that club! when i get to work in the AM i get a large cup and fill it with ice and that's what i chomp on! i like it more than water
40I don't but my son does.
41I love chewing Ice!! I thought it was just a little quirk I have, but I am also Anemic...so that kinda explains it.
42I spent $490 on bags of ice last year. no joke.
43I've never bought ice to chomp, but when it comes to the ice in my drinks, I have been known to be an ice chewer. My mom too, and while I know it's not good for your teeth, we both have pretty good dental histories, so I guess we have a little room for this particular vice.
44My sister chews ice constantly and it drives me mad! The constant crunch crunch crunch noise is so very annoying.
45I love chewy/crushed ice!
46I've heard it's bad for your teeth! On the other hand these little raspberry, blueberry, strawberry things look soooo perfect for a hot summer day!
47Chewing ice is horrible for your teeth.
48i used to chew ice all the time, not anymore!
49maybe i should start
...naaaaah!
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