To the great majority of people, "ice cream" means a frozen confection made from cow's milk to which is added any of a dizzying variety of flavorings, chunks, ripples, ribbons, crunchies and other goodies.

However, those who are lactose intolerant, vegan or who simply are trying to cut some excess fat from their diets don't have to live in ice cream-less obscurity. You may need to hit your local health food or gourmet store to find them, but there is a good variety of non-dairy ice cream substitutes made with tofu, soy milk and even coconut milk.

Of course, the big things to consider are the taste and texture. Taste should be no problem, as for the most part the things that give ice cream their flavor are not dairy-based. However, getting the flavors to play well with the non-dairy bases can be tricky.

Texture is another matter. There really isn't any true substitute for the creamy richness that comes from the butterfat that puts the "cream" in ice cream. No matter how many artificial thickeners are used, no matter what vegetable gums or other structural trickery is employed, you'll never quite fully mimic the original.

But that's actually not the death knell for non-dairy ice creams. They work when they establish their own identity, standing as unique creations rather than trying to be something else. Read on, and you'll find at least one brand that has taken that lesson to heart.

Each ice cream was evaluated by a panel of five adults, each of whom awarded a maximum score of 20 based on taste and texture for a possible perfect score of 100. Nutritional information is provided for a half-cup of each product.

Just for comparison, the nutritional score for Blue Bunny Premium Homemade Chocolate, one of the most popular national brands: 150 calories, 7 grams fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 45 mg sodium, 16 grams carbs.

So Delicious Chocolate Velvet: 130 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 23 grams carbs

The texture of this soy-based product is quite good, with a mouthfeel that lives up to the "velvet" in its name. However, the chocolate flavor simply doesn't pay off. The initial taste is good, but what you'd expect to be a blossoming chocolate flavor simply levels off and disappears without a trace. Final score: 81.

Purely Decadent Chocolate Obsession: 210 calories, 9 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 36 grams carbs.

This was the "wow" of the test. The mouth feel is rich and smooth, very much like a thick chocolate ganache. There are chocolate flakes that taste of real, good-quality dark chocolate and a chocolate ribbon that completes the picture nicely. Melting on the tongue, it's a true joy from start to finish. Final score: 96.

Tofutti Vanilla Almond Bark: 240 calories, 15 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, 24 grams carbs.

The mouthfeel of this one was very much akin to a good soft-serve ice cream. It was, as one tester described, "fluffy" on the tongue. The vanilla note came through clearly, but there was also a strongly salty aftertaste that rang a strongly discordant note. The almond bark was very good, but also added to the saltiness. Final score: 78.

Good Karma Organic Rice Divine Carrot Cake: 160 calories, 7 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 25 grams carbs.

You'll have to hit the health food store for this one, most likely, and it will be worth the extra stop. If you've ever had a really good, dense carrot cake eaten from the refrigerator, you'll recognize this flavor immediately. It's made with rice milk, and somehow the Good Karma folks manage to make it nearly indistinguishable from dairy-based ice cream. The only off note was the chunks of actual carrot cake, which had an oddly bitter finish on the tongue and really detracted from the overall impression. Final score: 89.

Rice Dream Organic Vanilla: 140 calories, 6 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 22 grams carbs.

The rice magic didn't work for this one, the other rice milk-based confection in the test. It was very icy, with a watery mouthfeel. There was very little discernible vanilla flavor. The sweetness was nicely balanced but simply had no flavor backing it up. Final score: 61.

Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Chocolate: 150 calories, 9 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 20 grams carbs.

This ice cream, the second from the Purely Decadent brand in the test, managed what none of the testers thought possible: It perfectly duplicated both the taste and mouthfeel of top-quality chocolate ice cream. This is simply straight chocolate, with no sprinkles, add-ins or other helpers. From first taste to aftertaste, the chocolate flavor holds up beautifully. Final score: 98.

All in all, the quality of these non-dairy ice creams was surprising to the testers. They are all more expensive than premium ice creams, but if you're avoiding dairy but jonesing for an ice cream fix, there are some really excellent ones available.