These are the Czech Republic's most beloved frozen treats

Traditional brands retain a strong foothold on the Czech market for ice cream and ice pops.

Expats.cz Staff

Written by Expats.cz Staff Published on 23.05.2022 18:00:00 (updated on 23.05.2022) Reading time: 2 minutes

The vast majority of Czechs enjoy ice cream and other frozen treats. But which brands are most popular? As with beer, Czechs prefer local brands to imports.

Over 90 percent of Czech consumers said they buy packaged ice cream or ice pops, and only 7 percent shun frozen treats, according to a survey by polling agency Nielsen conducted for website MediaGuru.cz.

The Czech brand Míša by far is most loved, with three-quarters of Czechs consuming the brand's products on occasion. Míša and its teddy bear logo date back to 1962, being one of the old-school brands to make a transition after the Velvet Revolution.

The treat, made mostly from frozen tvaroh, a dairy product similar to yogurt, is remembered fondly by many generations as a part of childhood. It is still made in the Czech Republic but is now part of the Unilever portfolio.

What is your favorite brand of frozen treat in Czechia?

Algida 3 %
Häagen-Dasz 25 %
K Classic 3 %
Ledňáček 4 %
Míša 18 %
Pinko 1 %
Polárka 3 %
Prima 4 %
Tatra 0 %
Other 39 %
116 readers voted on this poll. Voting is closed

Second and third place is a tie between Prima and Algida, both consumed by 57 percent of those who eat cold treats. Czech brand Prima has roots going back to the 1970s, and while it retains its local character, it is now part of South Africa-based Bidcorp.

Algida is another Unilever brand, and it is available by that name across much of Europe. The same ice cream is known under different names as well, such as Wall’s in the UK and Good Humor in the U.S. and Canada, making it one of Unilever’s biggest product lines.

A slight majority, some 51 percent, buy chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream bars called Ledňáček, another traditional Czech brand that is also under the Unilever umbrella.

Polar bear Polárka and friends at Prague Zoo in 1956. Photo: Prague Zoo archives.
Polar bear Polárka and friends at Prague Zoo in 1956. Photo: Prague Zoo archives.

The traditional brand Polárka is still in Czech hands and eaten by one-third of those who eat treats. It was launched in 1949 and almost disappeared after 1989. It has recently made a big comeback with a relaunch in 2018. The logo and name commemorate the first polar bear ever successfully born in captivity, which happened at Prague Zoo.

Other brands were at less than 25 percent. These include Häagen-Dasz (22 percent), K Classic (20 percent), Tatra (18 percent), and Pinko (10 percent).

There were some gender divides, with men preferring K Classic and Polárka and women liking Míša and Häagen-Dasz.

People from villages were more inclined toward the traditional Prima and Ledňáček brands, while city denizens cool off with Algida and Häagen-Dasz. People in Prague and Central Bohemia in particular like the Häagen-Dasz and Pinko brands.

Among frozen treats, ones made from frozen dairy products were most popular, at 62 percent, while fruit-flavored ice pops were favored by 22 percent, sorbet by 7 percent, and other flavored ices by 7 percent.

Packaged ice cream or popsicles retain their status as a treat, with only 9 percent of people buying it once a week. The largest frequency for buying frozen treats in packages was once a month, at 28 percent, followed by once a quarter year, at 27 percent.  

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