The Japanese have a fascination with unique ice cream flavours, and we’re not just talking about chocolate or strawberry—there are some truly unusual and even bizarre options available. Some flavours are simply unexpected, like pumpkin, Japanese tea, cream cheese, or even cherry blossom petals.
However, there are others that might leave Westerners a little apprehensive, such as potato and butter, rice cake, or wasabi. Then there are the truly adventurous flavours—how does crab or sea urchin ice cream sound? Or perhaps squid-flavoured ice cream? And let’s not forget the alcohol-infused varieties, including wine, sake, and even beer-flavoured ice cream.
Ice cream vending machines are a common sight on Japanese streets, where 100 to 200 yen will get you a beautifully wrapped ice cream. Most vending machine varieties are quite sweet, often chocolate-coated. Although exotic flavours like squid, crab, and even eel ice cream do exist, they are not widely available. A word of advice—unless you have a particularly daring palate, you may want to avoid Basashi Aisu, or raw horse meat ice cream. Even with a chocolate coating and a cherry on top, it’s not exactly a crowd-pleaser.
On the other hand, green tea ice cream is much tastier than it might sound and is widely enjoyed in Japan. This popular dessert, often served in restaurants, gets its distinct flavour from matcha tea powder, which is also used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies.
For those looking for an extreme ice cream experience, Ice Cream City in Tokyo’s Sunshine City complex offers an astounding assortment of unusual flavours. The selection varies by season, but some of their more notable offerings include whale, ox tongue, oyster and garlic, and—if you prefer a vegetarian option—lettuce and potato. There’s even chicken-flavoured ice cream and a mouth-watering octopus variety to try.
You might think that creating these exotic ice creams is simple, but in reality, a great deal of food science goes into their production. Many seafood-based varieties freeze at different temperatures than traditional ice cream, and then there’s the challenge of managing their strong aromas and aftertastes. Food engineers spend countless hours researching and experimenting to ensure these unique flavours not only preserve well but also appeal to curious customers.
Also on Happy Jappy
Green tea ice cream recipe
Weird Japanese Soft Drinks
Dog Cafés
Japanese Toilets
Japanese Snack Foods
