People are only just realising where Häagen-Dazs’ name came from, and it’s NOT because of its ‘Danish heritage’
PEOPLE are being left shocked after discovering the meaning behind the ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs.
If you have ever assumed that it was named after its founders or that it is a Swedish, German or Danish phrase you are mistaken.
Häagen-Dazs was launched in the US by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Reuben and Rose Mattus in the 1960s.
And it turns out that the distinctive name was completely made up and doesn’t have any true meaning at all.
Reuben created the name himself and wanted it to sound European.
He even invented a meaning behind the phrase, claiming it stands for “the best”.
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However, the back story behind the invented phrase is poignant.
Reuben and Rose are both Jewish-Polish immigrants and decided to come up with a Danish-inspired moniker in tribute to Denmark's protection of its Jewish population during the Second World War.
According to Tablet Magazine, Reuben - who died in 1994 - shared: “The only country which saved the Jews during World War II was Denmark, so I put together a totally fictitious Danish name and had it registered.
“Häagen-Dazs doesn't mean anything. [But] it would attract attention, especially with the umlaut.”
He added that he also wanted a name that would stand out in the American market and that people would “take a second look” at the label and wonder if it was imported.
Reuben shared: “If you're the same like everybody else, you're lost.
“The number one thing was to get a foreign-sounding name.”
As well as choosing a Danish-sounding name, Reuben also included a map of Denmark on the early Häagen-Dazs labels.
Reuben's daughter Doris Hurley recalled in a PBS documentary called An Ice Cream Show in 1996 how her dad sat round the kitchen table coming up with jibberish names for the brand.
He eventually settled on Häagen-Dazs due to it sounding “unique” and “original.”
Many Häagen-Dazs fans have admitted they are surprised upon finding out the name had been completely made up.
One said: “I always assumed it was a combination of two German last names. Weird.”
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Another added: “I always assumed it was German because of the umlaut.”
However, one person pointed out: “'As a Swedish person the name has always bothered me because it doesn't make sense verbally (or grammatically) to put an A after an Ä like that.”
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