There are many flavors of soft serve ice cream in Japan.
I will share with you the flavors and toppings that can only be found in Japan.
1. A classic in Japan! Matcha(Green tea) flavor
In Japan, soft serve ice cream is usually vanilla, chocolate, and “matcha” flavors.
The bittersweet Matcha aroma is nicely matched by the sweetness.
Matcha flavor is very popular in Japan. You can find it in many places.
If you go to Kyoto or Shizuoka, where matcha is grown, you can enjoy authentic matcha flavored soft serve ice cream!
2.A little bit exciting! Wasabi soft serve ice cream
Soft serve ice cream made with Wasabi, a Japanese spice!
Wasabi soft serve ice cream is sold in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture and Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, where wasabi is grown.
One bite of the dish will give you a cool, sweet mouthfeel, followed later by the tangy, spicy flavor and aroma characteristic of wasabi.
Wasabi, which is native to Japan, is produced in areas with clean water. If you see wasabi soft serve ice cream, it is proof that the water in that area is clean!
Please take note of the surrounding scenery as well.
3.You will love it or hate it! Spring Limited Sakura(Cherry Blossom) Soft Ice Cream
Sakura-flavored soft serve ice cream with a pretty, slightly pink appearance!
Cherry blossom soft serve ice cream is made with extracts from cherry blossom leaves and flowers. It is slightly salty and has a fresh leafy flavor.
The unique cherry blossom flavor is actually a flavor that even Japanese people have different likes and dislikes.
It is recommended for those who like plant-derived flavors, so please give it a try.
What is Sakura? If you are wondering what is Sakura, please refer to the following blog.
4.Looks gorgeous! Soft serve ice cream topped with gold leaf
Soft serve ice cream topped with gold leaf is available in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture.
Kanazawa is very famous for its gold leaf production, and all gold leaf in Japan is now made in Kanazawa.
The gold leaf itself has no taste at all, so it tastes the same as regular soft serve ice cream.
However, when you see the beautifully shining gold leaf, you will realize that Kanazawa City is a “gold leaf production area.
5.A lucky soft serve ice cream. “Oiri soft serve ice cream”
Topped with pastel-colored sweets, “Oiri-Soft” is a local soft serve ice cream available in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Oiris are crispy, sweet sweets, and in Kagawa Prefecture, brides give them out to their guests at weddings as a way of “sharing their happiness.
Since it is topped with lucky candies, it is a popular soft-serve ice cream that “may bring you good luck!” and it has become a popular soft-serve ice cream!
6.Sweet and savory “Soy sauce soft serve ice cream”
Soy sauce soft serve ice cream is AKI’s favorite soft serve ice cream.
This soft serve ice cream is made with soy sauce, a Japanese seasoning, and has a slightly salty and savory taste with a hint of sweetness.
When you go on a tour of a soy sauce factory, they often sell soy sauce soft serve ice cream!
7.Popular sweets topped with soft-serve ice cream! “Shingenmochi soft serve ice cream”
This soft serve ice cream can be found in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.
The soft serve ice cream is topped with a Japanese sweet called “Shingen Mochi”.
It is very famous as a souvenir when you travel to Yamanashi Prefecture.
The soft-serve ice cream topped with Shingen mochi is a perfect combination of smooth milk flavor and the sweetness of Japanese sweets!
Such “mochi” toppings are also found in other parts of Japan.
It is served topped with kinako or azuki beans, making it a truly Japanese-style soft-serve ice cream.
8.Fruit flavored soft serve ice cream
There are soft-serve ice creams that make the most of each region’s specialty fruits.
For example, Mikan(Japanese mandarin oranges), Nashi(Japanese pears), apples, chestnuts, etc.
It’s seasonal, but they also have something called “Ume(plum) soft serve ice cream”!
Try the local fruit flavored soft serve ice cream.
9.Oyster toppings on soft serve ice cream!
It is said to be sold in Okayama Prefecture. I have never had it either….
They have soft serve ice cream topped with fried oysters and soy sauce.
If anyone is up for the challenge, I urge you to come to Okayama Prefecture!
10.Soft serve ice cream topped with shirasu(whitebait)!
What a strange looking soft serve ice cream.
You can eat at a tourist attraction called Enoshima in Kanagawa Prefecture.
According to those who have eaten its soft serve ice cream, it is said to have a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors.
How do you say soft serve ice cream in Japanese?
Oh yes, do you know what soft ice cream is called in Japan?
The answer is… “soft cream”.
Japanese people do not say “soft serve ice cream”.
It is said that when people in the past popularized soft serve ice cream, they chose the name “Soft Cream” so that it would be easy for Japanese people to pronounce.
Culture is so interesting!
