Is Japan selling you fake ice cream?

Japan just experienced it The most popular June records The demand for anti-thermal stroke solutions has never been higher since the country began tracking these things since 1898. Sunscreen is disappearing from store shelves. Parasols are more popular than ever. And refreshing ice cream It may soon have to be recognized as its own food group.

However, if this happens, it will have to carry an asterisk, because it turns out that not all Japanese ice cream is technically, legally and in fact ice cream. Let’s explain it.

The top two AISUs in Japan

The Japanese have been enjoying it aisu (abbreviation aisukuriimu, Since the pronunciation of “ice cream” was sold in 1969 in the form of frozen egg usst-like desserts, the pronunciation of “ice cream” was first sold on Yokohama Mountain. Today, AISU is a casual umbrella term that can be found in the refrigerator section of a convenience store or supermarket, any sweetness on a stick, cup or squeezeable bag. However, the Japanese government did not see this.

Legally, only desserts composed of at least 15% milk solids and 8% milk fat can be labeled as “ice cream”. High dairy content produces creamy flavors like Häagen-Dazs, Lady Borden and Mow. But if only premium brands are legally ice cream, what is everything next to the freezer?

Usually it is lactic acid ice (rakutoaisu), this is Japan’s best-selling frozen dessert in 2024, with sales of over 206.6 billion yen and ice cream’s 181.7 million yen. Lacto Ice contains at least 3% milk solids and does not have a legally fixed minimum content on milk fat, which is usually replaced entirely with cheaper emulsifiers, such as vegetables or palm oil.

It’s lighter and smoother than ice cream, but kids don’t usually notice the difference, so the popularity of lactic acid ice. These desserts are very cheap and come in larger sizes, such as the super wide essel super cup, soh (one of the square containers) and squeezeable cool sizes, no harm.

The cold middle ground of compromise (and milk)

Between ice cream and lactic acid ice you will find ice milk (Aisumiruku). Legally defined as any frozen dessert, with at least 10% milk solids and 3% milk fat, may occasionally be incorporated with vegetable oil, but is usually very close to its full-dairy cousin in flavor and texture, with a small price.

The popular rock candy dessert tastes like frozen milk on the stick, making it a great example of iced milk, and Yukimi Daifuku is also a popular vanilla dessert wrapped in a soft, chewy mochi.

However, this is where things get a little tricky. Some specific flavors of premium brands, such as the strawberry banana cups from Häagen-Dazs, are legally classified as iced milk ice cream Because milk fat is less than 8%. Therefore, the “ice milk” classification does not necessarily mean lower quality.

The rest of the frozen households

Behind the above snacks are ice sweet (Kauri Hair or Hyoka). In Japan, still known as AISU, they are more of what Westerners call popsicles, snow holes, popsicles, ice hockey, ice pops, fruit cakes and things of this nature.

Popular Japanese summer treats Hakigori Shaved ice Here is a clear example of a similar dessert with actual ice like Sacre. In Japan, the most popular Bingbing is Garigari-Kun, which is a popsicle with a famous wide mouth boy mascot on the packaging.

Since rock sugar is mainly frozen water that tastes natural or artificially (although they can contain a small amount of dairy), they may seem easy to spot at first glance, but there are some examples that will surprise you.

Would you guess the Azuki Bar “Ice Cream” (still launched back in 1973) is technically legally sweet? What about the soft service? Well, if you can find a way to have no dairy at all, it can be technically a kind of ice sweet. However, it is usually one of the three other AISU varieties.

It all depends on the amount of milk solids and milk fat. In some handmade non-chain ice cream shops, the soft serve is almost certainly ice cream. What a tourist trap store offers is also selling cigarettes and beer? At best, there is only ice milk, but it is more likely to be lactic acid ice products.

Should you care?

Even if ice cream (usually considered the pinnacle of ice cream) is not technically ice cream in Japan, then perhaps all the different labels aren’t that important. Well, legal splitting of hair on what ice cream is seems trivial, but it is important to know what you put in your body is important.

While no one thinks ice cream is a healthy food, moderate milk fat has some beneficial effects on the body. On the other hand, partially hydrogenated oils found in lactic acid ice may contain artificial trans fat.

Finally, checking the labels for frozen desserts takes only one second to see the snacks you want to process. And now, with this guide, you can make informed decisions about what to get.

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