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Even royalty can get a sweet tooth from time to time, and in the blistering heat of a Japanese summer, what could be a better way to satisfy the urge for sweets than a big bowl of ice cream? Of course, when dealing with the imperial family, not just any old brand of ice cream will suffice. That’s why in 1968 a special recipe for handmade ice cream was developed for their royal highnesses, the Emperor and Empress of Japan. It’s called Snow Royal and can still be purchased from Snowbrand-Parlor (雪印パーラー) in Hokkaido..

Hokkaido Prefecture is a large region in northern Japan that’s known for its high-quality milk and cream products, so of course they’d be the ones to call when commissioning the perfect ice cream. What’s special about the Snow Royal brand is that it doesn’t contain any eggs, giving the ice cream a distinctly light and fluffy texture that’s evident from the moment one’s spoon first touches the dessert’s surface and slides right in without effort. It’s almost like eating whipped cream.

Thanks to the absence of egg, Snow Royal ice cream has a rich but mellow flavor that comes solely from the density of the milk and percentage of fat in the cream. It leaves a very refreshing sort of aftertaste.

Snowbrand-Parlor explains the history and development of the ice cream on their site. “In 1968 this vanilla ice cream was developed expecially for the emperor and empress of Japan. Half a year was spent testing different recipes in order to surpass the quality of the ice cream prepared by the Imperial Household Agency. The result was a perfect and wholly unique ice cream blend containing 16 percent butterfat.”

Snow Royal ice cream can be purchased in any of Hokkaido’s Snowbrand-Parlor restaurants, whether the main building in Sapporo or one of the many branches scattered throughout the prefecture. It can also be mail ordered from their shop on Rakuten. If you ever have the opportunity to try it, we really recommend that you have a taste. You’ll be eating like a king.

Reference: Snowbrand-Parlor Snow Royal ice cream

Photos: RocketNews24

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▼ Take a look at that silky-smooth texture.

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▼ Is your mouth watering yet?

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▼ The spoon just slides right in.

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▼ Say “Ahhh.”

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[ Read in Japanese ]