SOLEDAD — Since the beginning of summer, Ariel Dayam has been driving her high-roof cargo van every Sunday blaring the classic jingle “Turkey in the Straw” through the streets of Soledad.
Her mission is to deliver a nostalgic feeling most people don’t come across nowadays: a fluffy soft serve on a cone from the side window of an ice cream shop on wheels.
“It’s the experience,” said Dayam, who plans to stop in town every week until she has to close shop for two months in the winter. “I’m getting to know these people every single week. Even if they don’t always come out, I’m gonna watch their kids grow up. I’m gonna watch them grow old and I think that’s a privilege to be able to do something that you love while being around good people.”
Dayam, 27, remembers as a kid there used to be a soft-serve ice cream truck that roamed through her neighborhood in Southern California that served delicious globs of the creamy goodness.
When she moved to the Bay Area, Dayam noticed the ice cream vendors (paleteros) pushing the heavy carts sold water-based and milk-based ice pops using common flavors, such as lime, mango, watermelon, coconut, pecan and strawberry.
That’s when Dayam began working for an ice cream truck five years ago. Prior to that, she had different types of jobs, including a car salesperson.
“But for some reason this was always my calling,” she said.
Dayam has had her share of challenges with the van that she bought in June 2025.
For starters, it kept breaking down. Then she went through the long process of getting the permits and everything else in order.
“Having the money, that was the most challenging,” she said. “For anyone who’s wanting to start a business, be prepared for the unexpected. That definitely hit me like a ton of bricks.”
The chocolate dip cone is the most popular item, by far. Dayam is currently coming up with more creations for the menu, including the Soledad Cone — vanilla ice cream topped with Oreo cookies and a dip to mimic the mountain ridges of Pinnacles National Park.
According to a study by Innerbody.com, they found that strawberry is the go-to flavor in California, while Cold Stone Creamery is the most searched brand.
Strawberry is also the undisputed national champion, surpassing classic flavors like chocolate and vanilla that were created in Italy and France, respectively, in the 17th century.
California ranked No. 11 for the most ice cream-obsessed state with a search interest index of 65.57. Coming in at the top is New Jersey (100), followed by Delaware (98.27), Massachusetts (88.5), Connecticut (82.83) and New York (82.67) to round off the top five.
Cold Stone Creamery ranks as the second-most searched brand nationwide behind Halo Top.
As for flavors, parts of the map rely on their regional crop, such as blueberries in Maine, coconut in Hawaii and peach in South Carolina. However, there are some states that show a particular taste of interest, including boba ice cream in Florida and lavender in Oregon.
Other not-so-popular flavors on the list included ube (purple yam commonly used in Filipino desserts), Blue Moon (a Midwest specialty often described as a mix of citrus, vanilla and almond) and — surprisingly — mango.
According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the ice cream industry generates $11.6 billion. The average American eats roughly four gallons of ice cream each year.
The majority of ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturers in the United States have been in business for more than 50 years, most of which are still family-owned.
The hometown favorite in Texas is Blue Bell, while those in Vermont seek for Ben & Jerry’s. The favorite local brand in Oregon is Tillamook, Pennsylvania has Turkey Hill and Arkansas’ faithful go with Walmart’s Great Value brand.
South Monterey County isn’t home to a major ice cream company, but there are several locally owned businesses that offer a majority of the classic flavors.
Roberto Vega officially opened Ricositas ice cream shop at 614 Front St. in Soledad on May 8. He comes in a little more than one year following the departure of Lolitas Ice Cream, which closed its doors after 33 years in business.
Vega won’t have the extraordinary lavender or Blue Moon flavors, yet he still offers several palate pleasers, including the Cookie Monster (blue vanilla ice cream with a mix of cookie dough and Oreo cookies).
Apart from the sweet treats, the 45-year-old Soledad native sells other peculiar items that are slowly becoming the new norm in local ice cream shops.
Tostilocos is a popular Mexican antojito (little craving or snack) made with Tostitos or Doritos, then topped with cueritos (pickled pork rinds), cucumber, jicama, lime juice, chamoy, Japanese-style peanuts and various other toppings.
Another hot item on the menu is the Copa Loca. It’s similar to the Tostilocos but made with shrimp and a special hot sauce inside of a small plastic bowl that sits atop of any refreshing drink.
“Everybody goes for ice cream, but nobody’s expecting it when we show people our speciality, the Copa Loca with shrimp,” Vega said.
Ricositos has nieves de garrafa — handmade Mexican ice cream or sorbet crafted by hand-churning natural ingredients, such as lemon, mango or tamarind, inside a metal cylinder placed within a wooden barrel filled with salt and ice.
Other items on the menu include Red Bull mixed drinks and raspados (shaved ice) using handmade syrups, which Vega believes is what sets them apart from the competitors.
“When you have the right people working with you, everything’s possible,” said Vega, who also owns Leon Insurance & Tax Services right next door to Ricositas. “I really personally care a lot about customer service. Customer service goes a long way.”
