Kulfi Makes It to the World's Best Frozen Desserts List: India's Beloved Ice Cream Ranks Number 7 Globally

Global food discovery platform TasteAtlas updated its Top 100 Frozen Desserts in the World list on June 15, 2026, placing kulfi at number seven with a 4.3-star rating. The list was compiled from 11,881 total ratings, of which 8,642 were verified as legitimate by the platform's anti-manipulation system, which filters out nationalist voting patterns and gives greater weight to users identified as knowledgeable food enthusiasts. Kulfi placed ahead of Italy's gianduia gelato, Calabria's Tartufo di Pizzo, and Peru's queso helado to firmly establish itself in the global top ten. For a dessert that is still most commonly sold by street vendors from matkas and hand-held molds, a top-ten finish on a globally competitive food ranking is a significant moment of recognition.

The Top 10 at a Glance

The full top ten on the June 2026 TasteAtlas list places Cornish clotted cream ice cream from England at number one with a 4.5-star rating, followed by Italy's pistachio gelato at number two and Turkey's chewy dondurma at number three. Frozen custard from Wisconsin comes in at four, Peru's cremolada at five, and Italy's hazelnut gelato alla nocciola at six. Kulfi holds seven, with Italian gianduia gelato at eight, Tartufo di Pizzo at nine, and Peru's queso helado completing the top ten. The list is notable for how strongly it features traditional, regionally rooted desserts over mass-produced or commercial varieties, which speaks to why kulfi, with its deep craft traditions and street food roots, ranks so highly.