If the physics and production of “ice cream ramen” are as confusing and weird to you as they are to us, perhaps it should be clarified that the food product is neither ice cream nor ramen.
Semantics aside, the dessert actually looks far more interesting than its name implies. New York City desert shop The Dessert Kitchen pioneered the culinary creation. The “ice cream” component is made from crushed ice covered in evaporated milk, while the noodles are traditional Japanese jelly noodles, called kanten, made from algae. So technically they are noodles, but not a cup o’ noodles type deal. The jelly noodles are comparable to the recently trendy raindrop cake.
The see-through blue noodles are served on top of a bowl of crushed ice, mochi, cantaloupe and mango, covered with evaporated milk, and served with a side of white peach syrup. Folks can choose from different noodle colors and sauce flavors like green tea, honey or brown sugar to best suit their tastes.
If ice cream ramen’s name is off-putting, it’s at least worth checking out for the creative element. Check out an example of the dish’s presentation via an Instagram post below.