Forget chocolate and strawberry – Japan now has fried chicken-flavored ice cream

It’s hard to overstate how great "karaage," Japanese-style fried chicken, is. Not only is it usually seasoned with a mouth-watering mixture of garlic and ginger, it’s cut into boneless, bite-sized morsels so that you can chow down with gusto or easily nibble away while enjoying an ice cold beer.

Yes, "karaage" is always a welcome addition to any meal, which is why not only do some restaurateurs offer it in limitless portions, but there’s also a traveling food festival, Karaage Festival, specifically dedicated to Japan’s favorite fried bird. The next Karaage Festival is coming up at the start of next month, with the city of Fukuoka, on the southern island of Kyushu, acting as host.

Representatives from over two dozen "karaage" restaurants from across Japan will be on hand, cooking up their personal take on the dish. But while standard fried chicken is the main draw, there’s room for a bit of variation. For example, some stalls will also be selling chicken wings, and two particularly inventive chefs will even be serving "karaage" ramen, billed as “The Ultimate Combination,” and "karaage" made not from the standard chicken, but from ostrich.

But by far the most shocking dining option at Karaage Festival in Fukuoka is shown in the picture.

That swirl of golden brown soft serve, with a hue just like fried chicken breading, is "karaage" ice cream. Startling as the concept is, it might just be crazy enough to work. Many "karaage" recipes impart a sweet finish to the chicken, and salty ice cream, such as the sea salt flavor we had biking across Japan’s Inland Sea, is tasty and refreshing.

Still, the text that accompanies the photo translates as “Karaage soft serve ice cream!? You’ve got to take on this challenge!” which makes us think the fried chicken ice cream may be more novelty than delicacy, like the ramen ice creams we went two rounds with. If you’re up for the challenge, though, Karaage Festival in Fukuoka will be held on April 2 and 3 in Fukuoka Prefecture’s Noogata City.

Event information Karaage Festival in Fukuoka / からあげフェスティバルin福岡 Address: Fukuoka-ken, Noogata-shi, Yunohara 2-11, Aeon Mall Noogata 福岡県直方市湯野原２丁目１-１ イオンモール直方 April 2-3, 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Website

Source: IT Media

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- We test out a new way to make fried chicken, the Prison School way -- Fried chicken teams up with instant ramen in this cup of noodles fit for a king -- Japanese stir-fried noodles a huge hit in Kenya

© Japan Today