When you travel to Japan, enjoying sushi and ramen may feel a little bit repetitive, how about trying out Japanese ice cream for a change.
Japan’s creativity is impressive no doubt about that. Their culinary history is full of fascinating dishes. Ice cream is a dish brought back from Western countries in the 19th century and since then, the Japanese has created many different flavors for this sweet treat. Today, Illume-eMag will show you some flavors that the Japanese has created.
Cream Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is a popular flavoring in Japanese cuisine. This flavor is so popular that of course, you can find it as an ice cream flavor. There are several locations where you can try soy sauce ice cream, but Ando Jozo in Kakunodate is said to be its birthplace.
It sounds like an unlikely combination but the taste of some soy sauce ice cream is closer to caramel than traditional soy sauce.
Miso ice cream
Nagano Prefecture is known for producing the most miso among the prefectures in Japan. The Marukome Miso Company has its headquarters in Nagano City, and with the help of small-scale miso producers, together they produce 40% of Japan’s miso supply. The Suyakame store in Nagano City has been making miso for over 100 years in their traditional brewery. You can try the delicious miso soup and some of the famous miso soft serve for dessert. Don’t be shy, the salty taste of miso pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the ice cream with a taste that closely resembles salty caramel or peanut butter.
Golden Ice Cream
People in Kanazawa love to eat ice cream and the prefecture is known for producing a lot of this ice cream. The most popular flavor by far is the golden cream flavor. The locals call it kinpaku which in Japanese means golden leaf. The gold leaf began as a symbol in 1583 and remains part of the city’s heritage to this day. You can find gilded ice cream in popular tourist areas in Kanazawa such as Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle.
Wasabi ice cream
Wasabi is often served with sushi. Azumino wasabi farm in Nagano created this unique green dessert using wasabi beans from their farm. The sharp flavor may not be the perfect ice cream flavor, but the unique combination of sour and sweet has drawn visitors from all over the country!
Lavender ice cream
You wouldn’t think that lavender would make for a delicious ice cream flavor but people love to visit Hokkaido in the summer to enjoy this unique flavor. Farm Tomita is the largest lavender farm in Japan, and from spring to fall, more than 1 million tourists visit the farm to see its beautiful flowers. With a bite of the pale purple soft serve, the lavender aroma spreads in your mouth and is the perfect flavor to define your summer.
Hojicha ice cream
A little more commonly found around the country, hojicha is a tea flavor similar to matcha. It is a dark roasted tea that is red in color and has an earthy flavor. The roasting process is unique to Japan and you may have tried some at your local izakaya. Over the years, it has recently become a popular flavor due to its subtle sweet taste.
Sweet potato ice cream
The Japanese love sweet potatoes and around autumn you will be able to find sweet potato flavorings everywhere. Called satsumaimo in Japanese, the delicately sweet flavor of this soft dish is a perfect treat to enjoy while gazing at the fall foliage. Kawagoe is most famous for its local sweet potatoes, so as you explore the city, be sure to choose your portions.
Sesame ice cream
Sesame seeds are a popular nut used throughout Japan. Locals use it to coat rice, as a vegetable condiment, and even as a salad dressing. As an ice cream with this flavor is perfect, as Japan tends to avoid items that are too sweet. In Sugamo, you can find a small sesame cake shop in Jizo Shotengai that sells sesame ice cream. You can choose between white sesame and black sesame. Toasted sesame on vanilla ice cream is delightful.
Soba ice cream
The Togakushi area in Nagano is famous for its soba noodles. The Soba Niomonya restaurant in that area is said to have created the original soba ice cream before soba-flavored ice cream spread throughout Japan. The combination of salty and sweet is the perfect example of the sophistication of Japanese aromas.
Shirasu ice cream
Found exclusively on Enoshima Island in Kanagawa, shirasu ice cream is known as a local delicacy. Shirasu are young sardines that may not seem too appealing at first glance. But it’s definitely an interesting thing to try. Enoshima is a popular day trip destination about an hour south of Tokyo by train. A good place to intermingle the concrete jungle with a more local spot where you can enjoy some ice cream with a laid-back beach feel.