If Duke has its burger guy, Duke Kunshan boasts its very own ice cream girl. 

Ice Cream Travel Guide is a global traveler and Instagram blogger who has kept a low profile curating and sharing the world’s finest ice cream flavors online. In the recent WeChat spotlight of Humans for Res Life, our sweets enthusiast reveals herself to be Aleksandra Stryjska from the Class of 2025, better known as, ‘Ola’ by her friends.

In hindsight, the unmasking of Ice Cream Travel Guide’s identity is not particularly surprising. Ice cream recommendations deal with categories of fitness and treasure-finding that are well-within the intersection of who Stryjska is, as a leader of the first tennis club at DKU, a puzzle club, and arguably, Duke Kunshan University’s biggest vegetarian movement. Stryjska’s love for neuroscience has even found a way into the delectable equation of her side hobby. “[Ice cream] is like a gratitude turbocharge without any side effects,” Stryjska recounts in the Res Life feature. 

In her latest interview with The Lilypad, Stryjska divulges the secret to great ice cream. According to Stryjska, the crucial factor is not so much about the boldness and richness of taste, but to receive exactly what one had ordered.  As ice cream varies dramatically across the globe and has a broad spectrum of palates, Stryjska finds it nonsensical to draw parallels between a Family mart popsicle to, say, a Hokkaido-style ice cream. “When I visit a gelateria, my expectations include a denser, smoother, and more indulgent texture, as gelato and regular ice cream are not the same. When I opt for Thai rolled ice cream, I anticipate perfectly rolled ice cream rolls. When I indulge in machine-made creamy ice cream, that’s the time I look forward to the creamy melt-in-your-mouth richness.”

When rating ice cream, Stryjska stresses the importance of preserving the authentic flavors distinct to different regions of the world. For example, the quintessential fragrance of cardamom and saffron blended with condensed milk should not be lost in India’s Kulfi. She delights in how certain ice creams pay homage to other culinary delights, and loves the whimsy of Germany’s Spaghettieis which cleverly mimics a plate of spaghetti. 

A significant part of Stryjska’s ability to discover exceptional ice cream lies in her habit of never passing by ice cream shops she encounters unexpectedly. Even on days when she doesn’t intend to buy ice cream, she makes a habit of walking into the shop to assess their appearance. “You can tell a lot from the color and how they store the ice cream.” She also tries to cram as many trips to niche ice cream parlors on her trips abroad. Once she managed to walk 22km (or a half marathon) in her visit to 6 different ice cream parlors in Venice.

Stryjska always finds herself in step with the latest trends, and enthusiastically explores flavors she might not typically enjoy during her stay at Duke Kunshan University in Kunshan, China. “Since matcha-flavored ice creams are so popular in China, I’ve been convinced to try it a few times. And you know what? Despite not being a fan of matcha in beverages, I actually enjoy matcha ice cream.” Tea-flavored ice creams, however, will have to wait another day.

When asked about her favorite ice creams, the ice cream connoisseur defaults to desserts sold in the capital of her country, Poland. “I live far from the capital, so it has almost become a tradition. Whenever I’m there with my family, we go for nitrogen ice cream.” The beloved homogenized cheese snack of Danonki and poppy seed ice cream are also an iconic part of  Stryjska’s childhood. “It seems like every child I know in Poland has a story of playfully scooping [Danonki] into a cup with a spoon, popping it into the freezer, and then pretending they were savoring genuine Italian gelato.”

Towards the end of the interview, Stryjska shares her personal aspirations or milestones related to ice cream in the future. “I remember that when I was applying to college, I made a pact with my sister that if I didn’t get in anywhere, we would open an ice cream shop together. As you can see, I’m in college now, so that plan never materialized. It would be nice to have a small ice cream shop in my later years.”

As a vegetarian and the president of Plant Futures, the DKU junior is optimistic about the future of vegan ice cream flavors. “People tend to be wary of them, but in reality, they are very good. More and more companies are introducing sugar-free ice cream options, which I consider to be a great choice.” 

Ice cream hunting is a passion that makes Stryjska travel more. So far, her journey as Ice Cream Travel Guide has been more than sweet.