Pino is one of Japan’s most beloved brand of ice cream snacks. They combine the simple deliciousness of a chocolate covered ice cream bar with the bite sized convenience of a bonbon.

Since their launch in 1976, Pino have become available in other flavors such as double-chocolate or strawberry, but their vanilla ice cream with chocolate coating has remains a firm favorite. However, on 13 April this year, Morinaga Milk Industry will be holding a one day event where you can not only taste brand new Pino flavors, but you will actually be able to create your own from over 100 different combinations. Details after the jump!

At the Pino Fondue Café: An Exclusive Pino Tasting Experience Event, there will be prizes, fun facts about the bite-sized ice cream itself, and even a section where you can take augmented reality photos with a giant box of the frozen snacks.

However, the main event is the taste experience wherein participants can create their own Pino.

First, visitors are given six pieces of Pino; two plain vanillas, two plain strawberries, and two vanillas covered in chocolate as-per the classic Pino style. Next the ice cream may be dipped in one of six different kinds of “chocolate coating” some of which were selected by popular vote: Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Strawberry Chocolate, Macha Chocolate (first place winner), White Chocolate, Custard Chocolate, and Almond Chocolate (second place winner).

Finally you can sprinkle a topping onto the melty chocolate coating. The choices are: Strawberry Powder, Crushed Almonds, Cookie Crumbs, Malted Puffs, Macha, and Colored Chocolate Chips.

With all these options there are 108 different possible combinations (147 if no coating and/or topping is an option) if my memory of high school math serves me. This rare one-day event is made even rarer by having a Pino taste experience of your own design.

If you can make it out to Tokyo for whatever reason, don’t worry! Pino are also giving away home Pino-fondue kits in a contest held from now to the end of July. To enter, simply buy a Pino product and enter the code on the package into their website. They’re also giving away 1,000 yen (US$10) cash cards. Not too shabby.

So there you have it. I can’t think of any other reason we should not all be dipping chocolate covered ice cream into more chocolate and putting some chocolate on top for good measure.

Information
Pino Fondue Café: An Exclusive Pino Tasting Experience Event
13 April from 11am to 6pm
Space 634, 5F, Tokyo Solamachi, Sumidaku, Tokyo
Admission is free, all are welcome

Source: Pino via Nari Nari (Japanese)
Pino Home Fondue Contest
Pino AR App for the event (Kazasmart): iTunes, Google Play

▼ These are the overall winners of the Chocolate Coating Vote. Apparently, Morinaga still just chose whatever chocolate they wanted for the event. It’s a shame. Cheese chocolate looked very interesting.

1. Macha Chocolate (at the event)
2. Almond Chocolate (at the event)3. Cheese Chocolate
4. Bitter Chocolate
5. White Chocolate (at the event)
6. Strawberry Chocolate (at the event)
7. Kocha Chocolate
8. Coffee Chocolate
9. Caramel Chocolate
10. Blueberry Chocolate
11. Semi-Sweet Chocolate (at the event)
12. Custard Chocolate (at the event)