If you don’t know what “nettori” means in Japanese, you definitely will after eating this ice cream.

Garigari-kun has earned its reputation as Japan’s favourite popsicle brand not only for its mainstay soda-flavoured popsicles but for its lineup of limited-edition flavours that boggle the mind and delight the taste buds at the same time.

▼ Now there’s a new flavour coming to stores around Japan — Nettori Peanuts.

In Japan, “nettori” is the word used to describe things that are sticky and gooey, and that’s what this popsicle aims to deliver. The shaved ice used in this new variety is said to be much stickier than any other Garigari-kun, a fact that its makers, Akagi Nyugyo, makes clear in its marketing for the new product.

As the manga panels above show, the popsicle’s contrasting textures create a big impact in the mouth, with “ガリガリ” (“garigari”, which means “hard and crunchy”) and “ねっとり” (“nettori”) combining to create a memorable mouthfeel. In case those visuals weren’t enough, the company has also released images of namesake mascot Garigari-kun (“kun” is the suffix for boys’ names in Japan), with one showing him enjoying the hard, crunchy sensation of the popsicle…

▼ …and another showing him succumbing to its stickiness.

The reason behind the sticky texture is to elevate it beyond a regular peanut flavour, giving it the same mouthfeel as peanut butter. It also helps to replicate the decadent “immorality of eating peanut butter on bread”, so you can feel as if you’re biting into a peanut butter sandwich with every mouthful.

▼ The popsicle contains a peanut ice cream on the outside and peanut-flavoured shaved ice on the inside to create the sticky sensation.

To help promote the new product, the company will be distributing 20,000 free samples across three venues on 14 October, prior to the 17 October release. The events will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fukaya-Hanazono Premium Outlets Food Court Square in Saitama Prefecture, Lazona Kawasaki Plaza Roux F open space in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Nagoya PARCO East Building 1F Main Entrance in Aichi Prefecture.

After that, the ice cream will be rolled out at stores nationwide at a recommended retail price of 173 yen (US$1.16).

Source, images: PR Times
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!