You can get mayonnaise-flavoured ice cream bars in Japan

Say what you like about Japan, but the country certainly has a creative approach when it comes to snacking. Anyone who’s ever felt intimidated by a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto would do well to steer clear – this is a nation that has no limits to the flavours it is willing to smash together. Maybe that’s why we love it so much. 

The latest in a long line of peculiar and frankly alarming twists on traditional treats to have shocked the internet, Morinaga Milk Industry has come up with an ice cream bar that’s more condiment than confection. Dubbed “The Calorie Monster Cherio Creamy Mayonnaise Flavor”, this unusual creation features an anthropomorphic mayo bottle on the front and looks every bit as odd as it sounds. Suddenly, Twinkies seem much more reasonable. 

In addition to the obviously unusual mayonnaise flavour, the Calorie Monster also includes a coating of white chocolate and cookie crumbs. The whole ice cream comes in at a whopping 307 calories – 29 more than the average Japanese milk tea, as per FoodBeast.

Check out this clip of an ice cream shop launching a pickle flavour gelato:

According to the official product description on Amazon Japan:

“It is a bar ice cream with white chocolate of plate chocolate type put in mayonnaise ice and coated with white chocolate with cookies. Mayonnaise-flavored ice cream is Japan’s first! You can enjoy sweet and creamy taste in combination with white chocolate. In addition, you can feel a firm sense of satisfaction with a rich and rich taste over 300 kcal.”

To top it off, the Calorie Monster is also allegedly “a must try if you are a mayor”, though this endorsement and the above description may have more to do with the limited capabilities of Google Translate than actual mayoral appeal. 

Perhaps surprisingly, the mayonnaise ice cream isn’t the most alarming thing in the Morinaga company’s arsenal. Also available on Amazon is the “Cherio Triple Cheese” ice cream, made with “cream chocolate ice cream and gouda cheese-flavored chocolate, coated with white chocolate with cheddar cheese flavor cookies.” Maybe, in hindsight, we’ll stick with the mayo.