Flush with the success of last week's Pino Mint adventure and inspired by Roboppy's call to popsicle arms, I decided to pick up this week's candy from the frozen treats aisle again. I was slightly at a loss because my favorite Japanese popsicle was actually the melon one pictured in the aforementioned popsicle post (the seeds are chocolate chips!) and I didn't really see anything equally appealing in the freezer. But my love of sweet beans and matcha pulled me toward Meiji's Uji-kintoki popsicles, which are based on a popular kakigori (shaved ice) flavored with matcha and topped with azuki beans and sweetened condensed milk. (Does the name sound familiar? Perhaps it's because I reviewed Uji-kintoki KitKats last year.)
And...wow.
It's times like these, eating a popsicle with a creamy cap of frozen sweetened condensed milk, smooth as gelato, covering crunchy matcha-flavored ice crystals studded with chewy sweet beans, that I sort of want to cry and tell Japan I love it so much I want to marry it. This is the greatest popsicle I have ever eaten. The textures, people, the textures! At first it was so strange, reaching the bumpy, icy center -- popsicles aren't crunchy -- but it was immediately satisfying, chewing through the granita-like ice and the occasional nuggets of bean. And maybe the bean sounds strange too, but the contrast between the melting ice and the chilled bean skin was, as unlikely as it may seem, perfect.
Sweet, chilled bean skin is delicious! Tell your friends.
This feels like a very grown-up popsicle, the kind of thing you could offer at the close of a summer dinner party and still feel glamorously Gourmet-worthy. And if any of your guests refuse to eat crunchy ice crystals or sweet beans in their popsicles, well, please wrap up the extra and send it along to me.
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Comments (16)
Ooooohhh, I've had these! I found them at my Asian mart! They are *so* good, and there's a strawberry shaved ice version too I believe.
Posted by Sera | July 7, 2007 12:43 AM
Ooooooh I looooooove regular shaved ice version of that so this popsicle looks AWESOME to me! I have to go find some.... yummmm...
Posted by amigurumigirl | July 7, 2007 1:06 AM
mmm, that sounds delicious.
Posted by gleek | July 7, 2007 1:53 AM
Thanks for the link-age!
And OMG I WANT THAT POPSICLE GIVE TO ME (claws at screen)...oh, the internet isn't real life, I see.
Why don't they sell those things here? Dammit! I'll have my eyes open for em. For frozen tubes of shaved ice and condensed milk hidden inside...[sob]...
Posted by Robyn | July 7, 2007 5:44 AM
if only we had them here!
Posted by rachel | July 7, 2007 8:05 AM
I want to go out and find this Popsicle now lol, unfortunately I'm at work right now. I will go out after work and try to find it at my local avian mart.
Posted by AS | July 7, 2007 8:40 AM
They have these in vanilla and strawberry kakigori flavours as well. We have two boxes in our freezer. They are my favourite for sure. I think the condensed milk at the top makes them, but the whole thing rocks.
Posted by kat | July 7, 2007 9:17 AM
That looks so good! All my favorite flavors too. I wonder if I can find them here?
Posted by myra | July 7, 2007 9:18 AM
Argh, now I really, really want one. They sound absolutely delicious! Will have to haunt the various Asian food marts around here in search of some...
Posted by Marie | July 7, 2007 3:52 PM
Looks and sounds unbelievably delicious!!!!
Posted by Jhoanna | July 7, 2007 11:40 PM
Wow...that sounds and looks quite odd! But very intriguing...
Posted by Emma | July 8, 2007 2:29 AM
ooooh, that sounds and looks like a favourite! have to look out for that! now! hehehe :)
Posted by Julia | July 8, 2007 6:03 PM
I wanted this the moment I saw the package. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Posted by Lori Magno | July 9, 2007 9:59 AM
I absolutly love reading your blog. Ive been glued to it for about a year(I stumbled across Giant Jean Palour whilst doing a jewellery project based on Wagashi)
but today I have decided to apply for the JET program so i thought I would say say Hi! and Thank you! x
Amy
Posted by Amy | July 10, 2007 8:19 PM
This sounds soooo yummy! I super love condensed milk, but most desserts made with it tend to be really heavy, the green tea sounds like it would lighten it up nicely.
^__^ I love all your blog! I ran across it looking for images of mochi, now I have your pretty desk top back ground!
Posted by Deanna | July 23, 2007 5:33 PM
I tried this during my visit to Japan and would not have done so if it were not for your review ^-^. It was oishii.
Posted by AS | July 28, 2007 9:43 AM