At La Michoacana, a Mexican tradition becomes a Memphis tradition
With creaminess unrivaled and community robust, La Michoacana—a Memphis-based family business with roots in Mexico—has been serving delicious, authentic Mexican ice cream in their shops across the Mid-South since 2008.
Rafael Gonzalez and his brothers Ari and Alberto opened their first La Michoacana in Horn Lake, Mississippi, on Goodman Road. They’ve grown their business to seven locations: two in Horn Lake, two in Memphis, one in Cordova, and two in Little Rock. They are proud of their growth, but intend to remain local to the Mid-South. “If you turn into a chain, you lose the magic,” Rafael explains.
To Rafael and his family, the magic is in keeping high standards for both their food and their customer service.
The Gonzalez family makes a habit of knowing their customers, many of whom have been loyal to the business since they opened. “I’ve been here for them and they’ve been here for me,” says Rafael.
No matter who comes through the door, he emphasizes, “this is their welcome place.”
Part of being welcoming is making sure his ice cream is accessible to people on a wide spectrum of incomes. “A family of six can come in here with $20 and eat a lot of ice cream,” he says. “I want to keep it low for the people.”
First in Mexico
Owning an ice cream shop has always been a dream for Rafael. He grew up working in his dad’s La Michoacana ice cream shop in Chihuahua, Mexico. Rafael’s dad, Alberto Gonzalez, originally learned from and worked with a family who made some of the first ice cream in Mexico—in a tiny town in Mexico’s Michoacán state. They were successful, and their La Michoacana ice cream shops started to pop up throughout Mexico.
In 1980 Alberto moved to Chihuahua, Mexico, and set up a La Michoacana shop there—the shop his family eventually called their second home. Alberto and his wife, Socorro, still live in Chihuahua, along with a son who now runs the La Michoacana shop there. Alberto visits his stateside family often; he has to make sure all their Michoacán ice cream is up to standard!
The Michoacana way
The Gonzalez family has never written their recipes down. “You have to keep it in your mind,” Alberto says. They remain loyal to certain techniques, like not exposing the ice cream to air and working only with small batches. At their kitchen facility in Walls, Mississippi, they use several smaller machines, working with no more than five gallons of ice cream at a time.
Natural ingredients like coconut and nata cream take center stage alongside fruits like mango, mamey, tamarind, lime, and more.
La Michoacana ice cream is served fresh with no preservatives. Anything sold in stores has never been in the freezer longer than three days. The ice cream is smooth and creamy with rich, concentrated flavors.
Frozen favorites
Rafael’s favorite flavor is strawberries and cream. He makes it as an ice cream, as a paleta (popsicle,) or as housemade coconut cream poured over fresh fruit with the customer’s choice of topping.
For the freshest, creamiest chocolate ice cream you’ve ever had, try a scoop of La Michoacana’s. Their Mexican chocolate falls between milk and dark chocolate on the sweetness scale and is made with a vanilla cream base.
Other flavors Rafael recommends include Mexican cake, dulce de leche, pistachio almond, lime sorbet, or German (based on German chocolate cake). He also likes their seasonally available flavors, like prickly pear.
Another solid pick would be La Michoacana’s virgin piña colada. There’s no hiding the superior ingredients that go into this one. Or for something a little more off the beaten path, there’s the pine nut batido. A batido is a thin milkshake. It sounds harmless; but be careful—it’s indulgent, and it’s addicting. Perfectly sweet and nutty are a novel combination.
For the spicy treat lover, there’s a mango chamoyada. This traditional Mexican treat features sweet frozen mangoes drizzled with a spicy lime sauce called chamoy.
Last but not least are some of the popular paleta flavors. Customers love cookies and cream, cappuccino, strawberry cream, and mango natural—but the list goes on and on.
Rafael loves to experiment and add new flavors. “I make the ice cream,” says Rafael. “I need to be around it. I need to know it tastes good!”
His days start early in the morning at the ice cream factory and end late in the evening at the ice cream shop. He says he wouldn’t have it any other way. “This was my dream when I was a kid,” he says. “I started really young with my dad. It’s a blessing that he taught me how to do this. It’s a way to live.”
In keeping with the Michoacán tradition, all La Michoacana recipes and techniques are learned by doing. “If you know how to make Michoacana ice cream, it’s because somebody showed you,” he says. “Maybe one day I will teach somebody else.”
Memphis locations:
4091 Summer Avenue
6635 Winchester Road
830 North Germantown Parkway
@la_michoacana_memphis
Allie Arnell is a freelance food writer and snack chef to three. She enjoys creativity, connection, and exercise. When she’s not chasing PRs or toddlers, you can bet she’s making a mess in her Collierville kitchen. @allie.arnell
Brandon Dill has found a home in Memphis. When not planning road trips with his wife or building blanket forts with his two daughters, he likes to take pictures. His photos have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and others. @bdillphoto