The world’s most expensive ice cream was officially announced by Guinness World Records last week.
Bukaya, which means “white night” in Japanese, is selling for 873,400 Japanese yen per serving.
This is the equivalent of around BD2,400, making it as expensive as a Rolex Oyster Perpetual (retail).
The ice cream is being sold by a Japanese-based company, Cellato. A representative from the company told Guinness World Records that “It took [them] over 1.5 years to develop, with a lot of trials and errors to get the taste right.”
In order to ensure the ice cream’s success, the company brought in Todayoshi Yamada, who was the head chef at RiVi, to oversee the project.
Ingredients of the ice cream include Parmigiano Reggiano and sake lees (the fruit paste that is created after the production of sake).
Most importantly, however, the company imports white truffles that are sourced exclusively from Alba, which is said to be home to the best truffles in Italy. The truffles alone cost 2 million Japanese yen (approx. BD5,400) per kilogram.
The ice cream comes in an attempt by the company to merge European ingredients with traditional Japanese foods.
The company has even released a set of recommendations on how to eat the ice cream. They advise consumers to pour white truffle oil over the ice cream and mix it until it’s soft, using the handcrafted metal spoon given to them with their purchase. They also recommend pairing the ice cream with either sake or French white wine.
The ice cream is available for purchase in Japan and is shipped directly to purchasers.