Crazy thing I ate today: Dairy free, gluten-free ice cream! Made by Yuri at Re:FOOD OKINAWA, this particular flavor is Mitarashi or sweet soy sauce. It was savory, sweet, salty, and creamy with a slightly salty rice flour waffle cone that added a crunch. Overflowing with umami but a perfectly balanced dish!

For those of you not familiar with the word, umami is called the 5th taste. We were all taught as kids about the areas on our tongues that taste salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. Asian cultures have another area though, known as umami, or savory. That little something extra in flavor that you can taste in your food but you can’t fit into the other aforementioned sections of taste. It’s what happens to a tomato when you roast it. Or add a marinade to meat. Chefs strive to achieve the perfect balance of it in their dishes. Umami is tasted all over the tongue, not just the middle. 

To say this ice cream was special is an understatement. I was sad when the cone was gone, but I know where to go to get my fix. This store, known for it’s GF fare, has been closed for several months for renovations and finally reopened. It makes me SO happy because I can get my ice cream on and not be in pain for hours after. Plus, it’s near a great beach. AND I can have a cone now! The rice flour cone was not only tasty but didn’t go soggy like many cones do. I found out how Yuri makes her cones and I’m going to try to make some too. I’ll write this up as a win-win because I’m saving the environment by eating the container plus I have a new recipe. Right? That’s how that works? Yuri had 20 different ice creams on display, some she makes with soy milk, others with coconut milk, and not just your run-of-the-mill flavors either. Adzuki, or sweet bean paste, green tea, ben imo or purple sweet potato, and cherry blossom all sound delicious too!

All I know is I’m happy to have another resource for my allergy free foods. Doing without most dairy isn’t as hard for me until summer rolls around. The tinkling bells of an ice cream truck bring sadness and the need to throw rocks at it. Not really, but geez, I love the frozen crack… ICE CREAM! (dirty minded freaks.) I’ll be a regular very soon.