Popular Daifuku Ice Cream "Yukimi Daifuku (雪見だいふく)"

Hi everyone who want to go or is going to Japan, 

In winter in Japan, What do you want to eat?? Ramen? Oden? Nabe (hot pot dishes)? Don't you want to eat something cold in winter? As a matter of fact, Most of Japanese like eating ice cream in a warm room with Kotatsu in winter. Generally, Rich taste ice cream ("ice cream" or "ice milk" is more popular in winter. (You can find out the Japanese ice cream and sorbet category on the article in this blog.), and today, I want you to know popular "Daifuku" ice cream. I guess "Daifuku" is what we called the Japanese food, and the ice cream used to be originally sold in just winter season.

A Sunken Kotatsu with

Daifuku Ice Cream

The "Daifuku" ice cream is "Yukimi Daifuku" which is categorized into "Ice Milk". It looks like a Japanese daifuku mochi. Rich tasted ice cream is covered with Gyuhi (Gyuhi is one of the materials of Japanese confectionery and a kind of rice cake made by kneading). It is absolutely compatible with coffee and tea without sugar.  

Original Yukimi Daifuku

I have just one thing you must note before eating the ice cream: Don't  hurry to put it into your mouth. You must wait to soften it up because it must be frozen hard. Ice cream in Gyuhi must be frozen hard, and Gyuhi also must be frozen hard. If you could wait a few minutes, Gyuhi is soft enough and stretchy, and ice cream is also soft: You must enjoy it so much!

Then, there are some different flavours coming up in each winter. The following 2 flavours are new ones in this winter: Hojicha and Kinako flavour. If you are going to Japan in this winter, you may want to try them! (in a warm room with Kotatsu, of course!) 

Hojicha Flavour

Kinako Flavour

So, I guess you must feel so cold in winter in Japan, but I want you to just enjoy your trip. Walking around outside and take a break with Kotatsu inside must be great for you!!

Enjoy your trip in Japan! And see you in the next article of the blog!! 
"The ordinary for Japanese" must work to spice up your trip!

Popular Ice Sorbets in Summer

Hi everyone who want to go or is going to Japan, 

I want to introduce popular 2 ice sorbets in Japan to you at this time. I wrote one popular ice sorbet "Gari Gari Kun" in another article. There are other great ice sorbets in Japan, and I will tell you about 2 of them. 

1. Ice sorbet "Sacre"
First, ice sorbet which I want to show you is "Sacre". This is shaved ice flavored lemon with a slice of lemon on top of it. It is very refreshing, you must want to have the shaved ice in summer! 
Category of this is Ice sorbet="Hyoka"(If you don't know about the category, please refer to another article in this blog).   

There is other flavors in this series. The following is one of them: Orange flavored Sacre. This is shaved ice flavored orange with a slice of orange on top of it. It also is very refreshing! I always bother over what flavor do I want to have, and I almost always choice Lemon flavored one... All flavors are great though.

2. Ice sorbet "ICEBOX"
Next, I'm introducing "ICEBOX" which is contained lots of crashed flavored ice. Original and popular flavor is grapefruit. Lemon flavor is also popular one. You can feel like eating some flavored ice. It is really the best choice to cool your body in summer, and you must feel refreshed with it!!

As another way to enjoy ICEBOX, you can put some beverage or cocktail into the ICEBOX: Coke, soda pop or some alcohol cocktail. Crashed ice of ICEBOX go for normal ice, and add some flavor to the beverage.

You can purchase both of them at a convenience store or supermarket in Japan. I want you to try them and hope you like popular ice sorbet for Japanese!! 

Enjoy your trip in Japan! And see you in the next article of the blog!! 
"The ordinary for Japanese" must work to spice up your trip!

Ice Sorbet Sold Over 400 Million Pieces A Year in Japan

Hi everyone who want to go or is going to Japan,

Today, I would like to introduce to you one of Japanese favorite Ice sorbet series. The category for this ice sorbet is "Hyoka". (If you don't know 4 categories of Japanese ice cream and sorbet, please read this article in the blog.) "Why can I say that is "Japanese favorite"? That is because the ice sorbet series is sold over 400 million pieces in total a year in Japan!! Do you know the population in Japan? It is 120 million. That comes over 3 pieces per person a year. If you ask Japanese the ice sorbets, I'm positive that the Japanese knows about it and have eaten it before. And I strongly hope that you try it when you visit to Japan!!

The name of the Japanese favorite Ice sorbet series is

"GariGariKun" (in Japanese "ガリガリ君")

Regular Price: 70 Japanese Yen (Excluding tax)

This is the package for the original flavor "soda pop" of GariGariKun. The soda pop flavor is the biggest-selling flavor in GariGariKun series. Then, the next photo is the content of the ice sorbet. The ice sorbet is kind of ice pop/ice lolly.

Shaved ice flavored soda pop is on the inside, and thin ice sherbet flavored soda pop is on the outside to cover the inside. You can have a stick of it with one hand and eat it, so you enjoy it while even walking outside!! This would be the best choice to eat when you feel hot, such as just out of the bath or coming back home in summer!! Moreover, you can win one more GariGariKun, if you get a winning stick like it on the following picture.

In English: You won!! You can exchange the stick with another "GariGariKun", not "GariGariKun Rich"

And then, as I said "ice sorbet series" on the title, there are many flavors of the  GariGariKun. The followings are just some of them: cola, grapefruit, orange, grape, Japanese pear, mango, apple. Japanese pear flavor is one of my favorite!!  

The package of Japanese pear flavor

The package of Cola flavor

In addition to above, there is high-end series; the name is "GariGariKun Rich".

Regular Price: 130 Japanese Yen (Excluding tax)

You must feel rich taste of the flavor. Although, the price of that is be higher than regular one!! Some of flavors of the "Rich" series: Milk&Milk, Chocolate&Chocolate, Pudding&Pudding.

How was the GariGariKun introduction? Do you want to have it? You can buy some of GariGariKun series at convenience stores, supermarkets or wherever you can buy ice cream and sorbet in Japan. Sometimes, new flavor of the GariGariKun series is released. You must enjoy finding and eating your favorite one and trying new flavor each time you come to Japan!! If you are acquainted with some Japanese at place you visit in Japan, you can try to ask him or her "Do you wanna go eating GariGariKun??" 

Enjoy your trip in Japan! And see you in the next article of the blog!! 
"The ordinary for Japanese" must work to spice up your trip! 

Read Me: The 4 Official Categories of Japanese Ice Cream and Sorbets

Hi everyone who want to go or is going to Japan,

Do you like ice cream and sorbets? Do you have any specific brand which you love in your country? I guess you do, and I also do!! There are many types of ice cream and sorbets, and several brands which I love though... Today in Japan, there is a lot of ice cream and sorbets from many brands as you can see the image on the top. Most Japanese (I never ever seen people who don't care for ice cream and sorbets in my life though...) like ice cream and sorbets, and we have them in all seasons, even in winter!! Ice cream and sorbets in Japan has 4 big categories and all of ice are classified in terms of the categories. I don't know if your country has slimier one or not. If you know that in some county else, I hope you tell me that. I would love to know that!! Anyway, Let me show the categories to you, and you must enjoy having ice cream and sorbets in Japan much more to understand them and check them on a package of ice cream and sorbets.

The Table of Category of Ice cream and Sorbet in Japan

All of ice cream and sorbets in Japan has any of the followings on its package.

• Ice Cream (in Japanese "アイスクリーム"): Rich milk taste because of much milk solid and milkfat. No allowed to use vegetable oil. 
  

  

  Milk solid 22% (9%+13%) and Milkfat "乳脂肪分" 13%

• Ice Milk (in Japanese "アイスミルク"): Good milk taste. Enough rich and lighter than "Ice cream".
  

  

  Milk solid 13.5% (8.2%+5.3%) and Milkfat "乳脂肪分" 5.3% 

• Lacto Ice (in Japanese "ラクトアイス"): The word is Japanese English. Light milk taste. Lighter than "Ice milk".
  

  

  Milk solid 6.5% (3%+3.5%) and Milkfat "乳脂肪分" 3.5% 
• Ice Sorbet (in Japanese "氷菓 <Hyoka>”): Ice cream with low milk-fat (under 3%), or ice sorbet with frozen fruits juice or flavored with something such as coke or some soft drink.
  

They are summarized as follow.

You want to have rich taste: Ice cream "アイスクリーム" or Ice milk "アイスミルク".

You want to have light taste or freshen your mouth: Lacto ice "ラクトアイス" or Ice sorbet "氷菓".

The followings are my suggestion how to choose ice cream or sorbet you want.

You don't feel hot so much, you are at home with some drink in early spring/late autumn/winter : Ice cream "アイスクリーム" or Ice milk "アイスミルク".

You feel hot inside home or outside, you feel thirsty: Lacto ice "ラクトアイス" or Ice sorbet "氷菓".

Those are just my suggestion, and the best way is to you enjoy finding out and having ice cream or sorbets what you love in Japan!! 

I will post some popular ice cream and sorbets in Japan for your reference. If they help you to find out your favorite ice cream or sorbet, I will be glad so much!! You can buy them at convenience stores or supermarkets and have it anywhere, but somewhere you are forbidden. Then just keep in mind: Don't litter, and you must throw away trash in a garbage can. 

Enjoy your trip in Japan! And see you in the next article of the blog!! 

"The ordinary for Japanese" must work to spice up your trip!