2014.09.20 HG RR, other one

Ice cream is one of those foods that is so delicious, people tend to eat it year round regardless of the plunging temperatures around them. So for the past 15 years, Häagen-Dazs has been releasing special fall/winter flavors in Japan, such as the extremely popular rum raisin. But this year, the beloved ice cream maker has an azuki bean-flavored variety coming out in early October, and Japanese netizens are already clearing out space in their freezer to stock up.

While bean-flavored ice cream may not sound like the most appealing thing in the world to some, azuki beans are a mildly sweet red bean that much of Japan and East Asia use in traditional desserts. Azuki enthusiasts have even been able to get their bean fix at 7-Eleven or Krispy Kreme.

Häagen-Dazs said that their “Nagomi Azuki” ice cream is a “mellow blend” of mildly sweet ice cream, sweet bean jam sauce and, of course, azuki beans. It will be available in stores around Japan on October 6. Although Häagen-Dazs has released a green team and azuki bean ice cream flavor in the past, this will be the first time for a purely azuki bean-flavored variety and netizens are beyond excited to try the new flavor.

“Azuki bean ice cream?? I don’t even have words to describe my happiness.”

“I don’t even eat a lot of ice cream, but I’m going to make an exception for this one!”

“There’s no way I’m missing out on azuki bean ice cream.”

And for those ice cream fans who cannot wait until October 6, Häagen-Dazs will start selling their famous rum raisin ice cream on September 22. For many rum raisin lovers, this time of the year is like Christmas as they’ve come to expect that Häagen-Dazs will be releasing this “limited edition” flavor every year. The company describes the ice cream as a “full-bodied and smooth,” highlighted by an “aromatic rum flavoring” and “specially-selected California raisins.”

▼ And up close look at the rum raisin that drives Japanese ice cream lovers crazy

2014.09.20 HG rum rainsinImage: Facebook (HaagenDazJP)

Unfortunately for some ice cream fans, these two flavors only come in the smaller 110-ml “minicup” size. Häagen-Dazs hasn’t announced any plans to sell them in larger sizes, much to the annual disappointment of some rum raisin fanatics. Are you one of those annual Häagen-Dazs rum raisin connoisseurs that wait for this time of the year to have your favorite ice cream treat? Or are you waiting to get your hands on that delicious, and very Japanese, azuki bean flavor?

Feature image: Facebook (HaagenDazJP)
Source: Fashion Press