Ice cream maker rolls out two mochi-enhanced flavors we’re happy to dig into even after the weather gets cooler.

It’s natural to feel a twinge of sadness at the end of summer, as we transition from fun in the sun to longer, colder nights. Of course, the best way to shake off bittersweet feelings is with sweet desserts, and to that end Häagen-Dazs Japan is ready and willing to help.

Japanese foodies always appreciate it when seasonal ingredients are incorporated into a dish, and that goes for sweets too. So this month Häagen-Dazs is rolling out a brand-new flavor: chestnut sweet bean mochi.

If you’re going by the Japanese name, it’s the Hanamochi Kuri An, kuri being the Japanese word for “chestnuts,” which will be coming into season shortly as we get further into autumn. While most people think of the red version of anko (traditional Japanese sweet bean paste), Häagen-Dazs chestnut sweet bean mochi uses white anko, which has a slightly richer, less intensely sweet taste. Joining the white anko ice cream is chestnut sauce with a subtle hint of salt, added to help draw out more of the nut’s latent sweetness. And since this is part of the Hanamochi line, sitting atop the ice cream is a layer of chestnut anko mochi, lightly dusted with sugar, giving you all sorts of textures and flavors to enjoy.

Also set to grace supermarket and convenience store freezer cases is the Hanamochi Ginse Kinako Kuromitsu.

This isn’t an all-new flavor, as it’s been offered for limited times on multiple occasions in the past. Those encore appearances are proof, though, of how well kinako (roasted soybean powder, here made with a mix of yellow and black beans for a richer flavor and fragrance) works as an ice cream enhancer, especially when it’s backed up with kuromitsu, an old-school Japanese brown sugar syrup, and a mochi topping. Plus, since Häagen-Dazs likes to tinker with the exact ratio of ingredients, this year’s Ginse Kinako Kuromitsu might offer a slightly different experience than the one from years past.

Both flavors go on sale September 29, priced at 295 yen (US$2.75), and are excellent options for capping off a meal of other foods Japan loves to eat in the fall.

Source: Häagen-Dazs via Entabe
Images: Häagen-Dazs
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