Ita Choco

Sadly, this past weekend was our last in Minakami. We had some fun times there but we just weren't using the house enough to warrant holding onto it. I will miss a number of things about those weekends, including those jaunts to Besia -- they were a real cultural experience. We rarely bought anything besides groceries. Yet each time I unearthed something weird or interesting to look at. Consequently, this last visit was kind of bittersweet for me.



My find-of-the-day on Saturday was Ita Choco, the latest from the folks over at Morinaga. I absolutely love the package graphics (especially the bold color scheme and the retro font) and the architectural metaphor (ita = board or plank) did not go unnoticed either. Pronounced "eat-a-choco," this name was surely someone's idea of bilingual fun.



As you can see, the concept is a bar of chocolate divided into hollow "boards." Instead of loading these compartments with caramel or nougat, each one is filled with vanilla-ish ice cream.



Regrettably, we mistakenly put the bar in the fridge when we got home. As a result, the ice cream was a bit runny and difficult to eat round robin style as we are wont to do but I am sure you get the picture.

Double Dip

The other day I pulled up behind a delivery truck at the Nishi Azabu crossing. While waiting for the light to change, I studied the the company logo emblazoned on the truck's behind. It took me a moment or two to figure out that the sideways ice cream cones add up to a stylized "S" as in the brand name "Sanko". I quite like this graphic though it challenges my design sensibility. In America, the vertically oriented, cone-and-dome combo is such an icon -- I probably would not mess with this. But in Japan, where that association may not be so deeply entrenched, it is totally cool.

Thai Treats

While roaming the street markets of Chiang Mai, we chanced upon a number of visually intriguing, though not altogether appetizing, treats. I am a bit squeamish when it comes to food sold by vendors whose cleanliness standards might not match mine. Yet Abby and Eve were brave enough to order ice creams from Scoopy Cool whose motto is "Once is not enough." Not sure I agree. In terms of taste, the flavors and consistency of the frozen confection were better than expected. However, the sight of the serving spoon diving into a pot of murky water between scoops turned my stomach just a bit. Here are some of the other highlights with commentary:



Individual candies on tooth picks. Very artful display. Takes advantage of the shadowy light conditions. Nice array of colors. Not sure how long they had been standing there. Never saw anyone buy or eat one.



Colorful squares of unknown gelatinous substance. Pretty to look at but zero desire to eat. Mysterious fruit flavors. Questionable hygiene conditions.



The name, Ancient Ice Cream, is not very confidence instilling. What exactly do they mean by "ancient"?



The rectilinear blocks of colorful ice creams are attractive (if you don't look too close) and their orderly arrangement speaks to my love of geometric order.



And my personal favorite: vegetable jelly eaten with sugar. Maybe it is REALLY healthy.



Let's hope so. There had to be some reason that the locals were descending on this stall in droves. In response, the little lady behind the counter was busily scraping her spoon across the quivering mass and depositing the resultant ribbons of black goo into take-away dishes.

Spinach Ice Cream

This afternoon we stopped by Napoli, our favorite gelateria in Hiroo, to pick up some treats to accompany our Sunday evening repast. While waiting outside with Pippi (no dogs allowed in the shop), I noticed a new flavor on offer. Spinach! Naturally I had to sample this delicacy so Eve took over leash duty while I went in. Would that I had had my camera with me but it is fresh out of batteries since we just got home from a Habitat for Humanity mission in northern Thailand (more on that to come soon).

Some might take issue with the frozen confection's bright green hue. But in Japan, where matcha (green tea) flavoring is as common as strawberry, green is a perfectly acceptable pigment for sweets. And green IS my favorite color.

The problem here concerns that other sense, taste. While living (and eating) in Japan I have gotten quite accustomed to foods that unite sweet with salty. The local cuisine really knows how to get this right. Better than most of the trendy variations on this theme that may be found in other parts of the world. Salty caramels? I rest my case. A little contrast is OK but spinach ice cream was a new one for me. I hope I did not grimace when the ice cream landed on my palette -- the flavor was a bit odd. I believe that "grassy" would be an apt descriptive. No make that "sweet and grassy." Not a winning combination. But I give Napoli accolades for their daring and verve.