We certainly seem to have an affinity for bananas here in Japan. We love bananas so much, in fact, that we’ve even seen them made into sushi on occasion. So we guess it’s not unreasonable to expect banana bread to also be popular in Japan, which is apparently what the folks at Japanese confection maker Morinaga are counting on with their newly released ice cream product. Yes, their new Banana Bread Ice Cream Sandwich lets you have both banana bread and ice cream at the same time!
The ice cream, which came out this past Monday, looks to be a filling dessert on its own and is made of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two pieces of banana bread containing wheat germ and banana puree. The vanilla ice cream comes with a rich banana sauce also made using plenty of banana puree.
▼Now, doesn’t that look tempting? Just imagine biting into that soft banana flavored bread and the cold, sweet vanilla ice cream at the same time! And the banana sauce inside the vanilla ice cream contains 30 percent banana puree, ensuring that you’ll get a full dose of that banana flavor. 
The ice cream sandwich is currently available at various stores and supermarkets across Japan for 160 yen (US$1.32). This could be the perfect winter treat to enjoy while you’re feeling nice and cozy in your heated kotatsu table, and taken out of the package, we think it could even look like an elegant dessert. Well, we’re certainly not complaining about two of our favorite treats being combined into one, so excuse us as we step outside to do some shopping to stock up on winter snacks. Oh, and if any of you have the chance to try this creative ice cream offering, we’d sure love to hear how you liked it!
Source: Morinaga press release (Japanese) via Entabe (Japanese)
Photos: Morinaga press release