Elephant nose ice cream: The treat with a trunk

If you’re looking for a fun way to eat your dessert, look no further than Zou-No-Hana Cafe in Yokohama, Japan. The house specialty, the zou no hana (elephant nose) ice cream has been enticing regular visitors and tourists alike with its cute, albeit strange, face and oversized waffle cone ears.

Elephant nose ice cream is ridiculously cute – who knew plain old soft serve, or “soft cream” as it’s called in Japan, could take on so much whimsy. And as you can probably tell, Zou-No-Hana Cafe has perfected the art of the nose lift:

But like any handmade creation, the elephant nose ice cream comes out different every time. Sometimes the nose hangs slightly to the left:

Sometimes it’s really to the left:

Or to the left and curled upwards:

Often the elephant’s creamy nose sticks straight up:

And sometimes comes to a point:

And in a few cases, the elephant starts to veer into somewhat strange territory, coming out more curlycue than pachyderm:

▼ Uh oh, we’re starting to see pink elephants….

▼ That’s better…These two-tone tusked elephants are only limited to 20 per day during certain times of the year.

But the downside to being presented with cute food that’s also irresistibly delicious is the “after photo” following that first bite:

▼ The horror!

Image: arisukekoubou

If you can’t quite stomach the noseless elephant staring back at you, might we suggest some other elephant-themed foods from Zou-No-Hana Cafe that, while still absolutely adorable, are a little less graphic with a bite taken out of them.

▼ Can’t go wrong with a bottle of water.

And this cafe’s quirk extends far beyond their colorful menu. Just take a look at the exterior of the building, named the Zou-No-Hana Terrace, which also doubles as an art space:

▼ Complete with two blue elephant greeters