Hello, Umi here.
Why do we miss ice cream when the weather turns chilly? Cold ice cream served in a warm room is the best!
I was able to try the Akita specialty “Bubba Hera Ice Cream,” which I had been begging to try at least once!
The term “Bubba Hera” means…
A type of ice cream sold in the street, mainly in Akita Prefecture, Japan, and the form in which it is sold. It is also called “baba hera ice cream” and pronounced “baba bella” in some regions.
The name is derived from the metal spatulas used by middle-aged or older women (babas) working as sales clerks to serve the food in cones. They are often found near major roads and events. Although sold from spring through fall, except during the snow season, most of them are opened during the summer and have become a summer tradition in Akita.
Sitting in the shade of a beach parasol erected on the side of the road, a sales clerk, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a puffy cheek, sells ice cream in a stainless steel cold storage can in the shape of a drum or milk can, which is then placed in front of the customer. Upon receiving an order from a customer, the sales clerk opens the lid of the can and, using a spatula, pours the ice cream into a cone. The can contains two flavors, banana and strawberry, and the ice cream is served alternately. The usual way of serving ice cream is quite simple, but there are some “master babas” who are skilled at serving ice cream in decorative ways, such as “rosary,” which resembles the shape of a flower rose.
(Adapted from Wikipedia)
It’s a really interesting ice cream.
I heard a friend of mine eat it in Akita before, and I thought, “I’ll definitely eat it when I go to Akita someday! I was thinking, “I’ll definitely try it when I go to Akita someday!
That’s it! What a surprise!
We were able to eat in Yurakucho, Tokyo!
The other day, I was walking around Yurakucho Station…
We found “Akita Furusato Kan” on the first floor of Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan, a one-minute walk from the central exit of JR Yurakucho Station!
The store is filled with Akita Prefecture’s famous confections, foods, liquors, and folk crafts.
As I was going around the store…
In the frozen food section next to the cash register, there it was!
Bubba Hera Ice Cream”!
We were not allowed to eat inside the restaurant, so we had it outside on a bench! (You can get a spoon with it)
Inside the cup, pink and yellow ice cream is beautifully served.
When I tried it…
The taste you imagined!
There is no particular taste difference between pink and yellow, and it is a bit like ice cream or sorbet, a bit different from ice cream or sorbet.
It was the first time I had tasted it, yet it tasted nostalgic, reminding me of my childhood. It tastes like something I know.
It was chilly in the evening and not the best condition to eat outdoors, but I was happy to have the Bubba Hera ice cream I had longed for!
Someday I would like to try it in the real Akita on a hot summer day.
Thank you for the food.
Umi.
