Is corn potage-flavored shaved ice the best or worst synthesis of summer flavors?
Our Japanese-language foodie reporter Natsuno Futon was recently reminiscing about Garigari-kun's rich corn potage-flavored ice popsicle bars. Initially sold in September 2012, she remembers being shocked at how good they were, despite her initial apprehensions about the combination of creamy corn soup and frozen treat. Since they're not on sale at the moment, she came up with a creative idea to try making corn potage-flavored kakigori (shaved ice) at home using Riken Vitamin's 'Just-Dilute-It Corn Soup' (298 yen [US$2.02]) and her personal kakigori maker.
This soup base comes in the form of a concentrated liquid to which you just need to add either hot or cold water depending on your mood.
Natsuno personally prefers adding milk for the richest, creamiest taste, especially now that it's mid-summer.
▼ Soy milk is another possibility.
OK, on to the shaved ice experiment. Following the instructions on the package, Natsuno diluted the soup concentrate with water in a 1:10 ratio and mixed it well.
She poured the liquid into her kakigori maker's special container and put it in the freezer to chill overnight.
The next day, it was frozen solid and ready to go. It looked like some of the soup base had settled on the bottom, but it wasn't anything too drastic. Worst case scenario, she could always mix the finished shaved ice to more evenly distribute the flavor.
She popped the frozen block into the device, flipped the on switch…
…and watched as corn soup-flavored shaved ice flakes began to magically appear before her eyes!
She decided to display the very last pieces of the frozen soup block as stylish accents in her bowl, and then voila–it was ready to sample.
Natsuno was both anxious and excited about its taste as she raised the first spoonful to her mouth.
Thankfully, it tasted almost exactly like the Garigari-kun corn potage-flavored popsicles of her memory–a perfect harmony of salty, sweet, and corn flavors. Sure, there were minute differences in the taste, texture, and smell, but she was pretty darn pleased with how accurately it had turned out.
She fed it to some members of her family who also agreed that it was a faithful recreation. Whether the flavor was actually delicious or not, however, was a slightly different story, and she received mixed reactions. Some thought that it tasted more like a palate cleanser at a fancy restaurant than something they would want to eat on its own.
▼ Which is fine in her book because it means more for her!
Of course, the good news is that if corn soup shaved ice isn't to your taste, you can always thaw the ice and eat it as soup instead.
Natsuno wants to express her gratitude to the developers of the Garigari-kun corn potage-flavored popsicles for creating the original winning summer flavor combination from unlikely ingredients. While she can't eat that original product at the moment, she's pleased to have found a faithful substitution for whenever she starts craving that creamy, corny flavor.
Lastly, Natsuno would like to clarify one point with readers–namely, that she will NOT be making shaved ice out of Riken Vitamin's 'Just-Dilute-It Scallop Chowder' soup concentrate in the same product series. Even she's not quite that adventurous.
For another fun do-it-at-home summer treat idea, you may want to check out the cotton candy maker currently being sold at 3 Coins locations in Japan as part of its summer festival series.
All images © SoraNews24
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