[Sca-cooks] Japanese Ice Cream (oop)

[Patrick McKinnion]

    (The article can be found at:

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/japano/0207/ice-cream/1.html

    While the text is reproduced below, the article also has pictures of the
cartons.......which is almost as disturbing.

    You know, I think I now understand why some of the Iron Chefs use the
ice cream maker so weirdly.....)

The Wacky World of Japanese Ice Cream

Japanese have long taken pride in their ability to adopt, adapt and
improve on customs, practices and styles from other countries.

Having succeeded globally with cars, electronics and even fashion, it
was only natural the Japanese turned their hand to trying to surpass the
West with one of its favorite culinary delights - ice cream.

Some of the results have been, well, interesting to say the least, as
can be discovered at the Ice Cream Exhibition being held through to
Sept. 30 at Namco Nanja Town in the Sunshine 60 building in Tokyo's
Toshima-ku.

Fish Ice Cream (Sanma Aisu)

Something must smell fishy about ice cream flavored with saury, a
saltwater fish popular in Japan...But there's no worries about that with
this offering from Kimura Shoten as the fishy fumes have been drowned
out by liberal doses of brandy. Not the greatest tasting ice cream on
earth, though.

Octopus Ice Cream (Taco Aisu)

Want to tantalize the taste buds with a tentacle? If so, Octopus Ice
Cream is the go. Japanese have been able to come up with an amazing
variety of uses for octopus, ranging from delicacy to porno movie prop.
Little wonder that octopus has found its way into ice cream, then.

Squid Ice Cream (Ika Aisu)

Not wanting to give octopus ice cream a leg-up, Kimura Shoten used the
extra legs available to step forward with Squid Ice Cream. And that's no
squidding.

Ox Tongue Ice Cream (Gyutan Aisu)

What better to tickle the taste buds than tongues? Though Ox Tongue Ice
Cream may not be the first delicacy to come to mind, its taste is
nothing to beef about.

Sweet Potato Ice Cream (Yaki-imo)

Sweet potatoes have a reputation in Japan for bringing on flatulence.
Mention Sweet Potato Ice Cream, though, and it's more likely to induce
nausea. But Kochi Prefecture company Group Farm has managed to produce a
surprisingly tasty ice cream using the versatile root.

Fried Eggplant Ice Cream (Yaki Nasu Aisu)

Eggplant is a mainstay of the Japanese diet, appearing regularly on such
dishes as pizza and in sandwiches. Becoming an ice cream flavor was
merely a matter of time.

Crab Ice Cream (Kani Aisu)

Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost prefecture, is renowned for its rich
array of seafood, prime amongst the delicacies being crab. Though not
everybody's preferred ice cream flavor, this is a dish worth getting the
claws into.

Corn Ice Cream (Tomorokoshi Aisu)

Corn is as much a favorite in Hokkaido as it is with Mainichi Daily News
writers. Corn has managed to wrangle its way into many dishes in Japan,
notably pizza and ramen noodles. Having tickled the taste buds so
successfully in other culinary fields, nothing was going to stop the
development of corn ice cream.

Koshihikari Rice Ice Cream (Koshihikari Aisu)

A strong local liking for Japan's favorite rice, koshihikari, has long
prevented foreign farmers from gaining a foothold in the lucrative
Japanese rice market. Koshihikari is also used to make some of Japan's
finest sake. But koshihikari is one rice strain that is something of a
strain to stomach when it's used in ice cream.

Wasabi Ice Cream (Wasabi Aisu)

Sushi gets its sting from the horseradish paste known in Japanese as
wasabi. While its tingling taste makes a delightful addition to raw
fish, wasabi's tangy flavor also makes for a surprisingly edible ice
cream.

Shrimp Ice Cream (Sakura Ebi Aisu)

It's prawnographic! Most people would be making a report to health
authorities if they dug up a full shrimp's body from their ice cream,
but with this product from Roman Holiday that's the norm. The image
Shrimp Ice Cream probably conjures up amongst most people probably comes
closest to the actual taste.

Eel Ice Cream (Unagi Aisu)

Eel is a summer delicacy in Japan, which probably explains why Futaba
decided to use it to flavor an ice cream. Surprisingly, the smooth taste
is quite palatable, even if the thought of what's being eaten is not
quite as tasty.

Nagoya Noodle Ice Cream (Nagoya Kishimen)

Some would think you'd be off your noodle to imbibe in this ice cream.
Fortunately, Chakkiri Musume Honten, the inventors of this ice cream,
were able to develop noodles that didn't go hard when they were served
under 30 degrees Celsius. One for noodle connoisseurs only.

Chicken Wing Ice Cream (Nagoya Tebasaki)

Nagoya is famous for its poultry, so it shouldn't come as a surprise
that the taste of this ice cream is best described as foul. It actually
tastes like a fried chicken wing, which is fine if that's what you're
eating, but not if you're tucking into some ice cream.

Miso Ice Cream (Hacho Miso)

Miso bean paste, together with soy sauce, is said to be the flavor of
Japan. Miso is an essential element of many Japanese foods and is indeed
delicious when served with the correct dish. But, when it comes to ice
cream, it's best to give miso a miss.

Cactus Ice Cream (Saboten Aisu)

A tasty treat that will prick the hearts of ice cream lovers everywhere.
It is smooth and refreshing with a taste that must be like drawing water
from a cactus after being parched in a desert for days.




"MEOW"... "WOOF"... It's a two-litter engine!
----------------------------
(http://home.earthlink.net/~patgund)  ICQ# 5527565
Patrick's Ever-Growing Tagline Collection:
(http://home.earthlink.net/~patgund/tagline/)