Is it okay to sample more than one ice cream, gelato or sorbet at the shop?

Are you an ice cream sample abuser? We take a deep-dive into the world of free food sampling to find out the answer to the biggest question - how many freebies are too many freebies?

Picture this: it’s a hot summer’s day and you’re trying to beat the heat.

You come across an ice cream shop and the promise of a cooling treat is too much to resist. You head inside, ready to press your face against the glass and select your scoop of sage-green pistachio.

However, the line doesn’t appear to be moving. You crane your neck, hoping to explain this glacial pace. Then you see it. It’s a group of pals, umm-ing and ahh-ing over their scoop selection, and they’re not leaving until they’ve tried everything. Tiny plastic spoons are handed over, and over, and over.

Tempers flare. There’s a line out the door. Women and children are crying. For the love of all things dairy, just choose an ice cream!

Fans of HBO sit-com Curb Your Enthusiasm will know the rage that this scenario can induce, a long-running joke in the show addresses the unwritten rules of the free sample. In the words of Larry David, if you’re heading toward double digits of taste tests, “You’re abusing your sampling privileges!”

Related story: delicious. 100: best ice cream in Australia

The etiquette around free ice cream samples assumes that the sampler is capable of self regulation.

The general consensus around the delicious. water cooler is that one sample at the ice cream shop is acceptable. Two is the maximum. The whole point of the taster is so you can try any new flavours or combinations you are unsure about. Nobody needs a taster for chocolate or strawberry.

We’re not the only ones who think so, either. Chef Adam D’Sylva of Boca Gelato said of the sample, “I could tell you some horror stories.”

“At Boca we’re usually more lenient with the kids and let them have samples, but when there’s a line out the door it’s like… you can’t spend five minutes handing out samples while there’s people waiting.”

D’Sylva continues, “If there’s a flavour like vanilla, or choc chip, you can get an idea of what that’s going to taste like. Sample the specials, sure, but there’s a ritual to getting gelato and everyone deserves that attention.”

“If there’s a line, be self aware.”

Related story: 40 ice cream recipes that are the creme de la creme

If it has taken you longer to select your ice cream than it has to eat it, you might want to reflect on that.

We might be reading too far into this – no, we haven’t pulled out the red string and thumbtacks yet – but the etiquette around free samples assumes that the sampler is capable of self regulation; a social contract between customer and supplier that not everyone is sticking to.

In 2010 a Minnesota man was arrested for shoplifting after helping himself to 280 grams of sausage, 385 grams of beef jerky, and “14-16 packets of soy sauce”. All had been left out as samples, the sausage filling the grey area between tasty treat and full smorgasbord. The case still haunts detectives.

The general consensus around the delicious. water cooler is that one sample at the ice cream shop is acceptable. Two is the maximum.

And look, we’re not here to admonish the samplers out there. By all means, an informed decision is a good decision. But at a certain point, a few ground rules need to be set.

If it’s taken you longer to select your ice cream than it has to eat it, you might want to reflect on that. If the amount of ice cream you’ve sampled is starting to resemble a full scoop – you’ve taken too many (and probably owe the shop a few bucks). And finally, if you can feel the cranky queue boring holes into the back of your head – it’s time to leave town.

Related story: 10 ice cream sandwich ideas for summer

For more food, travel and lifestyle news, go to delicious.com.au

Originally published as Is it okay to sample more than one ice cream, gelato or sorbet at the shop?