The most expensive ice cream in the world has been revealed and it’s the byakuya (white night) gelato from Japanese brand Cellato.
As confirmed by Guinness World Records, the frozen dessert fetches 880,000 yen (~$9,550 AUD) for a single serving, making it the most expensive in the world.
New record: Most expensive ice cream - JP¥873,400 (£5,469; €6,211; $6,696) made by OMER in Japan.
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) May 18, 2023
The ice cream includes edible gold leaf, white truffle and natural cheeses 🍨 pic.twitter.com/kaJOACEear
The price is mostly thanks to its ingredients, mainly the white truffles from Alba, Italy, that are considered some of the best in Italy if not the world. These truffles alone could bring in about 2 million yen (~$21,700 AUD) per kilogram. Topping off the ingredients list is edible gold leaf, two types of cheese, and Sakekasu, a byproduct of sake production.
It took over one and a half years for the project to come together with a team led by the head chef of Osaka fusion restaurant RiVi, Tadayoshi Yamada. The idea was to fuse European and Japanese ingredients to create a highly-refined dessert.
The ice cream is available in Japan and is shipped directly to consumers, according to their website. Once you receive your ice cream, Cellato set out meticulous steps for proper consumption. First, pour the white truffle at the right texture as the ice cream softens up, then mix it with the handcrafted spoon delivered with it. The ice cream has to defrost at room temperature or you can microwave it at 500 watts for 10-20 seconds if the texture is too hard.
Apparently it’s paired quite well with French white wine or sake.
Cellato has plans to expand and diversify its offering with future flavours said to include champagne and caviar. A black truffle-based dessert is already on the menu.
