Shops in Japan Serve Ice Cream Topped with Gold

Most ice cream shops top their frozen desserts with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles, and cherries. Ice cream parlors in Japan are doing something over the top in honor of holidays. They are coating their ice cream sundaes and cones with edible gold.

Golden Week is a series of holidays celebrated in Japan, but they actually have nothing to do with the precious metal. The special days include Greenery Day, a celebration of nature, and Children’s Day.

Two restaurants in Japan are topping their ice cream with gold in honor of Golden Week. A local brand of rich vanilla ice cream is being coated in gold leaf. The dessert is only available to customers during Golden Week. The restaurants are both located in the Hokuriku region that is located near the Sea of Japan. The region is the historic home of Japan’s most talented goldsmiths.

Gold flecks and dust are used in other treats in Japan, such as sake and desserts. The ice cream is different because it is covered with a solid sheet of gold leaf that delicately covers the contours of the soft vanilla ice cream beneath it.

People who have eaten the ice cream have reported that the gold does not feel like it is cracking or tearing when they bite into it because it is so thin. They say it feels like the gold is melting into the ice cream.

The gold does not have any flavor, so the sundaes and ice cream cones taste the same as they would without the sparkly topping. Still, many people in Japan are lining up to sample the gold-covered treats while they are available during the week of celebrations.

If you can’t travel to Japan to sample one of these gold-covered sundaes or ice cream cones, you can still enjoy a frozen treat closer to home. Stop in at Praline’s to sample some of our delicious ice cream with many classic toppings.