One flavor still rules the nation.

For the last five years, Baskin-Robbins Japan (colloquially known as “31”) has been holding an annual Flavor Election that petitions fans of its ice cream to vote for their top flavors to discover the nation’s favorite.

Out of a possible 1,400 original flavors that could have been potentially chosen from across the 53 years it has been operating in Japan, Baskin-Robbins narrowed down the contenders to the top 100, based on their own data, for fans to vote on and determine the tops spots in popularity.

Starting with the overall top five, the tallies are:

  • 5. Strawberry Cheesecake – 28,593 votes
  • 4. Jamoca Almond Fudge – 30,190 votes
  • 3. Burgundy Cherry – 31,163 votes
  • 2. Cotton Candy – 31,509 votes
  • 1. Love Potion 31 – 69,318 vote

With more than double the amount of votes as second place, this year’s runaway champion is Love Potion 31, a flavor poised to make you fall in love with it thanks to a delightful mix of raspberry and white chocolate ice cream with chocolate heart accents.

▼ Caramel Ribbon, Strawberry Cheesecake, Cookies and Cream, Dainagon Azuki, Love Potion 31, Very Berry Strawberry

One of the charms of Baskin-Robbins is the rotating limited-edition menu, with new and exciting flavors available each season, necessitating regular visits for anyone with even a hint of a sweet tooth. The most popular among the limited-edition flavors are:

  • 5. Daiquiri Ice – 15,520 votes
  • 4. Magical Mint Night – 17,522 votes
  • 3. 31 All Stars – 18,646 votes
  • 2. Burgundy Cherry – 31,163 votes
  • 1. Cotton Candy – 31,509 votes

While Cotton Candy was second in the limited-time category in last year’s poll, this year the sweet cotton candy ice cream rose to the top of this sub-section for the first time, with Baskin-Robbins’ cherry ice cream with rich cherry chunks a very close second.

▼ Burgundy Cherry, Cotton Candy, Tea Au Lait, Strawberry Royal Milk Tea, Mandarin Orange Cheesecake, White Tiramisu

Of course, with so many new flavors making appearances each year, there are naturally promising newcomers who are looking to build their fanbase. The flavors that have overtaken their fellow new counterparts in the poll this year are:

  • 5. Berry Meets Pistachio – 3,648 votes
  • 4. White Tiramisu – 4,931 votes
  • 3. Mandarin Orange Cheesecake – 5,099 votes
  • 2. Strawberry Royal Milk Tea – 5,772 votes
  • 1. Melty Strawberry Chocolate – 7,926 votes

Melty Strawberry Chocolate is a mouthwatering addition to Baskin-Robbins’s offerings that’s a mix of a chocolate and strawberry ice creams, further blended with a ribbon of strawberry sauce and chocolate chunks to balance its sweet and slightly sour elements.

This time around, Baskin-Robbins has introduced a new category: Double. The option of choosing two flavors and enjoying double the deliciousness is a highly recommended way to experience the ice cream at Baskin-Robbins, so what better way to find out the next combination to try than learning other people’s pairing of choice.

The top picks for Doubles are:

  • 5. Chocolate Mint and Popping Shower – 5,872 votes
  • 4. Strawberry Cheesecake and Popping Shower – 7,052 votes
  • 3. Caramel Ribbon and Popping Shower – 8,132 votes
  • 2. Cotton Candy and Popping Shower – 12,590 votes
  • 1. Love Potion 31 and Popping Shower – 35,202 votes

Considering how popular Love Potion 31 was found to be, it comes as no surprise that a combination featuring it has reached first place with close to three times the votes as second place.

However, the list also has what might seem like an anomaly: every choice in the top five includes the Popping Shower, a flavor of mint ice cream with popping candy pieces mixed in. In fact, it was in every combination in the Top 9. Seeing the mint and chocolate ice cream, mixed with popping candy, featured so often, it is a testament to how beloved the flavor is. In total, Popping Shower enters the top 50 list a total of 19 times, including seventeenth place where it is paired with itself, so its popularity is without question. The fact remains, though, that it does not show up at all in the 100 flavors in the single category. So, why is that?

▼ The legendary Popping Shower

Well, Popping Shower is simply too popular. After its inclusion in the first-ever poll, where it absolutely crushed the competition, it was determined that any future poll would similarly be dominated by Popping Shower, so it was ceremoniously retired into the Hall of Fame and removed from the candidate list from the second poll onwards, giving the other flavors a shot at the glory of being crowned champion. Popping Shower was allowed special entry into the Double category where it demonstrated that its dominance over other flavors has not diminished at all with time.

As a result of the poll, Baskin-Robbins Japan have pledged to turn the overall winner Love Potion 31 into an original keychain to be given to 31 winners selected by lottery from those who voted for it. They also promise to re-release the top three limited-edition flavors in 2027, so keep your eyes peeled for their return. In addition, there will also be gift cards, all-you-can-eat event vouchers, and variety box vouchers up for grabs in the lottery for those who participated in the poll. If you want to be in a chance for winning, keep checking for news of the poll next year.

With the frequently rotating menu, the best time to visit Baskin-Robbins is: always. However, if you don’t eat ice cream very often, but still want to see what all the fuss is about, you can’t go wrong with getting a Double with this year’s champion, Love Potion 31, and the eternal king Popping Shower.

Related: Baskin-Robbins Japan
Source: Baskin-Robbins Japan, PR Times via Golden Times
Images: PR Times
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