La Michoacana Premium

To the extent that Mexican ice cream isn’t yet widely appreciated in the United States as something unique or special, various types of La Michoacana scoop shops across Orange County (and California) are fixing that omission, neighborhood by neighborhood. At this point, there are literally too many La Michoacana, La Michoacana Plus, La Michoacana Premier, and other locations to count, though one collection of typically very good franchises – La Michoacana Premium – has a larger base menu and a solid collection of shops: 25 in California, with 10 in Orange County, including five in Santa Ana alone.

[La Michoacana Premium has roots in Sinaloa, Mexico, but started operating in America from a single Illinois shop in 2008, making its way to California years later. The story of trademark disputes over the La Michoacana name (and its history in Tocumbo, Michoacán, a plane ride away from Sinaloa) is complicated but interesting if you want to explore it.]

From our perspective, the biggest draws at La Michoacana Premium are the uniquely Mexican ice cream flavors, including Abuelita spiced hot chocolate, rich Cajeta caramel cookie, Ferrero Rocher hazelnut candy, eggnog-like Rompope, and fruits ranging from mamey to pepino. More common flavors, including pistachio, coffee, coconut, and vanilla are all available, as well, but nothing special in flavor. Though displays vary between La Michoacana locations, none that we’ve visited does a particularly good job of presenting the ice creams – one location didn’t even label them – so the proof is in the tasting, when the distinctive flavors and bits of cookies or candies really stand out.