The frozen dessert, known as byakuya or “white night” in Japanese, holds the official title of the World’s most expensive ice cream , currently priced at 880,000 yen ($6,380) per serving, according to Guinness World Records.
The Japanese ice cream brand Cellato refers to the dessert as gelato on its website, hinting at its Italian origins.
An article published on the Guinness World Records website last week stated that the key ingredient, sourced exclusively from Alba, Italy, renowned for its exceptional white truffles, has the potential to command a price of up to two million yen ($14,500) per kilogram.
The dessert’s finishing touches include an edible gold leaf, two types of cheese, and “Sakekasu,” a paste-like ingredient derived from the sake-making process.
A representative from the company informed Guinness World Records that it took them over 1.5 years to develop the dessert, involving numerous trials and errors to perfect the taste.
The company said its mission isn’t just about making mouthwateringly expensive desserts but to create a culinary adventure that merges European ingredients and traditional Japanese foods.
For that, it brought in Tadayoshi Yamada, the head chef at RiVi, an Osaka-based restaurant known for its French-Japanese fusion cuisine, to steer the project, according to Guinness World Records.
Sale
The desert is available for sale in Japan and is shipped directly to consumers, according to Cellato’s website.
Sampling the treat requires almost equal precision, as Cellato provides meticulous instructions on how to consume this World’s most expensive ice cream when it arrives.
The staff instructs patrons to pour the white truffle onto the ice cream at the ideal texture, precisely when it begins to soften up. They then mix it with a handcrafted metal spoon provided to them.
The staff advises patrons to allow the ice cream to defrost at room temperature or to microwave it at 500 watts for 10 to 20 seconds if the texture is too hard.
While the Guinness World Records team has not had a chance to sample the dessert, Cellato earlier offered a tasting session for its staff, who described the treat to the record-keeping body as “rich in taste and texture.”
In addition, they recommended pairing the tasting with sake or a French white wine.
Cellato, which also has a black truffle-based offering on its menu, said it plans to diversify its eye-wateringly expensive product line to include Champagne and caviar in the future.
