Ice cream is one of the world’s least controversial desserts. Unless you have particularly sensitive teeth, you’ve probably indulged in more than a few scoops of the usual. Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavours are staples of any sundae bar and ice cream parlour, but what if we told you those barely scratch the surface of the ice cream iceberg?
If you haven’t heard by now, a local ice cream institution has faced the spotlight after the Ministry of Health urged it to stop serving its ice cream laced with pei pa koa or herbal cough syrup. In light of unusual ice cream flavours making their way into the trend cycle, we’ve put together a list of the most offbeat scoops from around Asia.
Read more: 7 local healthier ice cream brands we love
Pickled Beetroot - Malaysia
A variety of ice cream at Licky Chan (Photo: Instagram / @yum.food.vibe)
Licky Chan has made a name for itself with outlandish but creative flavours. From its gorgonzola infused flavour to its olive oil and gin sorbet, this spot is where you go when vanilla just won’t do. Alongside its range of unusual flavours, one of its newest releases turns pickled beetroot into a dessert. Made with pink peppercorn, yoghurt, and an especially earthy root vegetable, this one certainly breathes new life into our ice cream scene.
Pork Floss Ice Cream - Taiwan
Pork floss ice cream (Photo: Snow King Ice Cream)
Desserts that combine savoury and sweet flavours are some of the most satisfying treats. However, infusing ice cream with pork floss leaves room for more questions than answers. Snow King Ice Cream in Taipei uses threads of seasoned pork to add an umami kick to its ice cream.
Equipped with a slew of conventional flavours, its slightly salty treat is one of its most celebrated flavours.
Soy Sauce Ice Cream - Thailand
Soy sauce ice cream (Photo: Instagram / @koz_bkk)
A Thai soy sauce brand really doubled down on the versatility of its products. Originally a grocer for soy sauce, Deksomboon in Bangkok also offers soy sauce ice cream. Served with a drizzle of dark soy sauce, this flavour is a highlight of this spot. You can also experience soy sauce ice cream in Malaysia with Licky Chan’s fior di latte flavour topped with kicap manis.
See also: The best night markets in Phuket, Thailand
Squid Ink Soft Serve - Japan
Squid ink soft serve from a Hokkaido ice cream spot (Photo: Instagram / @k_13k_1311031103)
You wouldn’t bat an eye at squid ink pasta or risotto, but what about soft serve? This flavour made its rounds on social media a few years ago with seafood markets in Japan popularising the unusual combination. Hokkaido’s Mario Doll continues to serve this jet black variation alongside the flavours you’d expect from a soft serve spot.
White Chocolate Nori Ice Cream - Singapore
Beloved Singaporean ice cream parlour, Tom’s Palette, is no stranger to unique flavour combinations. The spot has a consistently rotating lineup of limited-edition flavours and once released white miso and chilli and nasi lemak flavours. Its most current menu houses white chocolate nori ice cream and Parmigiano Reggiano ice cream.
Fish Sauce Gelato - Vietnam
Gelato on display at Ralf’s, with fish sauce and pho flavours at the bottom right (Photo: Instagram / @gelatoralf)
Introduced as an April Fool’s joke in 2017, Ralf’s Artisan Gelato in Ho Chi Minh City kept this on its menu until around 2020. This is a scoop I have personally tried and I can confirm it was like doing a shot of pure fish sauce. It really didn’t skimp on the flavour. Incredibly briny, this ice cream had to be the most savoury dessert out there.
This spot also served a herb-specked pho flavour but has since pivoted to more traditional varieties. I hope they bring this one back so others can experience this.
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