Lavish scoop: World’s most expensive ice cream in Japan costs more than $8,600

Some types of ice cream are known for their rich flavours but the latest concoction by one Japanese confectioner may also be more suited to those with deeper pockets, with each serving costing a cool 880,000 yen (S$8,600).

The dessert, called Byakuya or “white night” in Japanese, was officially dubbed the world’s most expensive ice cream by Guinness World Records last week.

Its maker Cellato concocted the pricey offering with several expensive elements, including edible gold leaves, parmigiano reggiano cheese and sake lees, an alcoholic paste-like by-product from producing Japanese sake.

But the cream of the crop of ingredients is the white phantom truffle grown in Alba, Italy, which can fetch prices of around two million yen for a kilogram of the rare material that has been dubbed the “diamond of the kitchen”.

“It took us over 1½ years to develop, with a lot of trial and error to get the taste right,” a Cellato spokesman told Guinness, adding that the ice cream maker is planning to release other flavours with other combinations of lavish ingredients, including champagne and caviar.

Lucky employees at Cellato tasked with tasting Byakuya described the fragrance of the gelato as “rich in taste and texture”, thanks to the aroma of the white truffle, followed by the complex, fruity taste of the cheese and aftertaste left by the sake lees.

To create the gelato that “delights even your cells”, the confectionary employed the services of Mr Tadayoshi Yamada, head chef of RiVi, an Osaka restaurant famed for its imaginative cuisine blending European and Japanese ingredients.

For 880,000 yen, those willing and able to fork out for a scoop of Byakuya will also get a portion of white truffle oil meant to be poured over the gelato, and a handcrafted metal spoon to eat it with. All this comes in a collectible box that Cellato can ship to buyers in Japan on frozen airfreight to ensure the gelato stays chilled on delivery.

Not everyone is sharing the glee of Cellato of having its concoction earn the title of the world’s most expensive ice cream.

“Will this ice cream give me long life and prosperity?” one Twitter user commented on Guinness’ page announcing the record.

Apart from its world-beating offering, Cellato also offers a relatively less costly gelato called Starry Night made with black truffles and chocolate and sold at 10,000 yen a scoop, a steal in comparison to its fairer counterpart.