Friday, December 12, 2008

Japanese Ice Cream Treat Sensation

Awhile ago I blogged about this wonderful new treat sensation I had found called kisyu ume. I thought for sure that this was the worst thing masquerading as a sweet treat that I had ever had, but I have discovered that I was terribly wrong. Terribly, horribly wrong.

I love ice cream. I believe it is the best invention in the entire world. I personally don't understand vanilla eaters. Vanilla is good but chocolate is so much better! And what about cookies and cream? Fudge ripple? Mint chocolate chip? Ice cream is heaven on a cone. I can't get enough of it. I adore all these different ice cream flavors! They make me happy... except maybe the Japanese version of our Baskin Robbins 31 flavors. Below is a selection of fabulous Japanese ice cream:


Copyright Wilhelmja via Creative Commons license on Flickr.com

At the top, the second ice cream top showing, we start with the very innocuous ramen flavored ice cream. Noodle ice cream flavor. That's fine. I can deal. The one next to it has a picture of a stalk of wheat so I thought it might be bread ice cream. Nope it is malt beer ice cream. I wonder if there is any alcohol content in it?

Aw come on, you say! What's with the weak stuff? Alright, I hear you. You are way more adventurous. Let's start with the first ice cream on the second row with the green top - good old wasabi ice cream. Horseradish ice cream. Perhaps you are supposed to eat it with your sushi instead of after? Well go ahead and blow out your nasal cavities with it. When you are done, why don't you skip over to the last ice cream on the second row with the yellow top that looks like a horse's head. No! You gasp. What new vileness can this be? Don't say it Ello, it can't be... Oh yes, I will Wilbur! It's HORSEMEAT ICE CREAM!!! After a nice day at the racetrack, come and have a cold, smooth cone of horsemeat! It will make you neigh with delight!

And if horsemeat is not your thing, go ahead and pick up the flavor right below it. You know, the one with the figure of a boy with a turban. Yes I know there is a boy on the cover. No it is not testicle ice cream. I don't think they make that. At least not yet. How about Indian curry ice cream. For those of you who seek some spice with their dessert. Because sweet should also be spicy. Really spicy. Curry spicy that is. Someone somewhere out there was playing around in the kitchen and decided that milk, sugar, cream would be a perfect base for chicken curry. And that person is just so very special.

Wait a minute, you say. What about ice cream for the seafood lovers here? Say no more, say no more. The first ice cream on the bottom row is fish egg ice cream. Hey you can call it caviar ice cream if you want, if it makes you feel posh. Oh salty treats of fishy goodness! Let those little fishy egg sacs burst in your mouth and mix that oily fishy goodness with the milk, sugar, and creamy goodness of the ice cream.

What say you? None of these are hitting your sweet spot? Speak up! I can't hear you with the vomit gurgling in your mouth! Oh you need something more special? Ok, I've got it for you. Here you go:



Octopus ice cream. Cause nothing says summer time like a nice refreshing scoop of octopus ice cream with perfect sucker encrusted tentacles for your crunching pleasure. And if you are really lucky, one of the suckers will still be in working order and stick to your tongue while you try to eat it. How awesome would that be? Enjoy!

33 comments:

Kimbra Kasch said...

Okay this reminds me of Harry Potter's jellybeans - and not always in a good way. My boys would love 'em - but I think I'll stick with my Cherry Garcia - my drug of choice.

;-)

Mom In Scrubs said...

Oh, Ello! I knew it was coming, just KNEW it!! But I thought it would be squid ice cream.

I don't mind curry in my chocolate; its actually quite nice. But meat products with sweets are definitely crossing the line.

Ben and Jerry's Magic Brownies: it doesn't get any better than raspberry ice cream with brownies and fudge.

Mary Witzl said...

I'm with you on this, 99%. Believe me, I've sampled some nasty things in Japan, including sea cucumber (like a sponge), locusts, raw horse meat (actually, I refused point blank) and raw chicken (ate it by accident -- not bad -- wouldn't touch it again unless I was starving).

But that octopus-flavored ice cream would be lovely on a hot summer day, in a salad of chilled greens, broiled fish, seaweed, and assorted vegetables --really it would!

The Japanese put potato salad, gobo (burdock root), catsup, etc. on pizza. What can you expect?

Vesper said...

Ello, I could go no further than the wasabi...
For the rest, God, will I be able to ever eat ice cream again with those images in my mind? :-) :-) :-)

J. L. Krueger said...

Methinks you are well and truly, totally an American!

I have philosophical aversions to eating anything equine. Any animal that has carried man to war ought not be eaten by man. We owe them that much. :)

Spy Scribbler said...

The curry ice cream actually sounds yummy, as long as they sweeten it right.

The rest?

Ee-yuck!

Angie said...

LOL! My husband and I are devout fans of Iron Chef America, and this reminds me of how the tension rises whenever the dreaded ice cream machine is turned on. [grin] Can you say "trout ice cream?" Seriously, I watched them make it. :D And the judges actually liked the green pea ice cream quite a lot; I'll admit I'd like to try it -- peas are sweet enough that I can see it working. [ponder] But yeah, it's amazing what you can mix with custard and freeze. [snicker]

Angie

Nandini said...

Arthur Read's song comes to mind ...

My Dad's a chef,
You think that's great?
Just try and guess
What's on your plate!

I want some ice cream,
Chocolate would be good.
Ice cream that tastes...
just like it should

If you must try exotic ice cream might I suggest

Zafrani Baadam Pista

and

Delhi Delight

Patti said...

stop this insanity. stop it RIGHT NOW! ugh...

JaneyV said...

I don't feel very well.

I had heard of garlic ice cream, which, I have it on great authority, is the essence of all that's evil. As to all you have mentioned - I am now off to drink to excess in the hopes I have obliterated the memories by morning.

Best ice-cream flavour of all time - dark chocolate and raspberry. Can you hear the angel choir?

Lisa said...

Blech! That's all I can say!

Larramie said...

My goodness, how refreshing. ;)

Danette Haworth said...

No way! Horse meat ice cream? Squid? No way!

Lisa L. Leibow said...

I saw the title and thought of that yummy ginger ice cream. Even red bean ice cream is fine. But I HAD NO IDEA!!!

Maybe it will help me to lose a few pounds, finally if I pretend all flavors are octopus!

Sarah Hina said...

I just threw up.

Do you think they make a vomit variety?

Holy hell...

Aine said...

Well, ice cream often has sodium alginate in it (seaweed)-- why not add some octopus to round out the nutrients?
:P

Whirlochre said...

Does that octopus stuff come with its own 8-scoop spoon?

This is truly vile. Worse than the skin on custard.

pacatrue said...

I'm a big fan of the azuki bean ice cream (red bean) and green tea's pretty tasty. But I can't wait to get me some horse meat. Actually, I've always preferred a cool horse meat liqueur over frozen spittle served with hoof chips. Yum.

Lana Gramlich said...

Years ago I joked with a friend, trying to concoct the most disgusting sounding treat that I could; trout ice cream. Who'd've thought it'd be a Japanese sensation?

laughingwolf said...

re. vanilla: i LOVE it, cuz i can add ANYthing i want to it ;) lol

my older daughter and i frequent this fab japanese sushi bar, but we're both keeping an eye on our waistlines, and have passed on desserts... so far :O lol

Kappa no He said...

Aren't these great? I once blogged them years ago. You did a much finer job. We get squid ink icecream and a place near my house. Black teeth rock.

Travis Erwin said...

You had me at malt beer.

Rena Jones said...

I've only read about these. I didn't get past the black teeth part ...

Danette Haworth said...

Haha, Sarah!

Kelly Polark said...

Yikes! One good thing about this post is that I won't sneak in an unneeded sundae today! :0)

Colleen_Katana said...

Dear God. Whose awful idea were these flavors???

SzélsőFa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SzélsőFa said...

Thank you Ello, for the scoop of laugh I just needed for this day today.
And yes, I am one of those who never fail to taste anything with vanilla in it...including icecream...

Now be quick and confess which of these icecreams did you actually buy and EAT?

writtenwyrdd said...

I like vanilla best, but chocolate is #2. Heh.

The horsemeat ice cream is particularly tempting, but as rural Maine lacks a lot of ice cream variety I'm forced to pass on the treat sensations you mention.

Robin said...

Yum yum! I love weird foods! I would try all of them except the horse meat. After all, Mr. Ed!

Barrie said...

Can you imagine these weirdo flavors at a Halloween party? They'd be a hit!!

Anonymous said...

Hey,mom.FYI after reading this I'm never taking ice cream from you if you go to Japan!!!Ewwwww!But still, I studied Tokyo and found out it's a very wonderful place!I put sushie on the cover!:) :) :)Stil.....
XOXO
Oldest(I'm not old!)

Anonymous said...

From before stil=still.Please don't tell anyone I made a stupid mistake like that! Best wishes!
Oldest