Castella cake ice cream debuts in Japan, and it’s one of the strangest things we’ve ever tasted

One of Japan’s most famous cakes sashays into the freezer section and messes with our minds.

Japan may be well known for its traditional wagashi sweets, but there are a lot of imported sweets that have been given a unique Japanese twist as well, including the humble sponge cake known locally as castella.

Originally introduced into the country by Portuguese merchants in Nagasaki in the 1500s, the castella has since grown to become a local specialty of Nagasaki, and the light and fluffy cake is widely loved by people around Japan today.

It’s so popular that local ice cream specialists Akagi Nyugyo have decided to create an ice cream version of the cake called the “Castella Style Ice Bar“. Akagi Nyugyo have proved their mettle for unusual creations in the past, with omelette-flavoured popsicles and French Toast ice cream, but would the Castella ice cream be as surprisingly tasty as their past offerings?

▼ Well for starters, it sure looks the part.

The ice cream looks like a real slice of castella, with its fluffy yellow sponge and golden brown exterior on display. The top of the ice cream even has a coating of granulated sugar, a distinguishing feature of a good-quality castella.

Biting into this is a mind-bending experience, as the texture feels so cake-like you’ll be fooled into thinking you’ve bitten into an actual castella. The soft texture of this ice cream is so unique we’d go so far as to say it’s indescribable, as we’ve never experienced anything quite like it before in a frozen ice cream.

▼ Even though we know it’s ice cream, it has a unique cake-like texture.

Not only does it have the same texture as a castella, it also has the same flavour, with the distinctive taste of milk and eggs, combined with a baked taste and slight sweetness, working to create a truly unforgettable ice cream.

It’s yet another feat of ice cream wizardry from Akagi Nyugyo, who previously gave us the Lipton bubble tea ice cream bar, and at 162 yen (US$1.11) a pop, we’ll definitely be stocking up on more of these while they’re still available.

Photos © SoraNews24
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