'120,000 Won Mango Bingsu' Is Affordable... 8.3 Million Won Ice Cream Released in Japan

Japanese White Truffle Ice Cream Worth 8.3 Million KRW
Premium Italian Ingredients... Guinness World Record Holder

There is an ice cream that costs as much as a used car. An ice cream brand from Japan has developed an ice cream that set the Guinness World Record as the "most expensive ice cream in the world."

The star of the show is "Bakuya" (白夜·White Night), a white truffle ice cream released by the Japanese brand Celato. The price of the ice cream reaches a staggering 873,400 yen (about 8.27 million KRW) for 130g. A handcrafted spoon set made by artisans in Fushimi, Kyoto, costs 880,000 yen (about 8.33 million KRW).

[Photo by Selato website capture]

The ingredients played a big role in raising the price. The ice cream uses the highest-grade white truffle from Alba, Italy, which costs 2 million yen (about 18.95 million KRW) per basket. Other special ingredients include Parmigiano cheese, sake kasu (酒粕, sake lees produced during the sake brewing process), and gold leaf.

Celato stated that their sole goal was not just to make the most expensive ice cream. They aimed to fuse European and Japanese ingredients in the form of ice cream. To achieve this, they enlisted Tadayoshi Yamada, the head chef of RiVi, a restaurant in Osaka famous for imaginative fusion cuisine.

So how does it taste? According to Guinness, the rich aroma of white truffle fills the mouth and nose, followed by the complex and fruity flavor of Parmigiano cheese. The sake kasu finishes the experience with a splendid taste.

Celato said, "It took more than a year and a half of trial and error to achieve the right flavor," and added, "Achieving the Guinness World Record shows that our efforts were worth it." They plan to release products combining ingredients such as champagne and caviar in the future.

Apple Mango Bingsu Priced at 120,000 KRW Remains Popular in Korea

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul presents five types of bingsu to maintain its luxury bingsu throne. The photo shows the Jeju Apple Mango Bingsu.
Photo by Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

Meanwhile, this year, the price of apple mango bingsu, a signature dessert menu item at major luxury hotels in Seoul, ranges from 70,000 to 120,000 KRW. Sales of mango bingsu at luxury hotels have been increasing every year.

With the trend of "small luxury" (consumption behavior that finds satisfaction in small indulgences), the popularity of high-end desserts has risen. At popular establishments like Shilla Hotel, customers must wait at least one to two hours on weekends to enjoy these ultra-premium bingsu.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.