The Ice Cream So Beautiful You Might Not Want to Eat It in Japan
At a café in Kyoto, each ice cream cone is crafted to resemble a bouquet of flowers, making it almost too beautiful to eat.
Shizen Café, located within the ShinPuhKan shopping complex in the historic city of Kyoto, is renowned for its ice cream cones that look like vibrant floral arrangements. Many patrons describe these creations as “too beautiful to eat.” As a newly opened café, Shizen Café is decorated with an eco-friendly theme, featuring potted plants and nature-inspired artwork. The “flower bouquets” are available for a limited time each season rather than year-round. Visitors can choose from rose-shaped ice creams, lavender, Japanese camellia, and other flavors.
Since patrons began sharing their ice cream experiences on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the café’s popularity has surged. Most visitors come to admire, photograph, and then savor the ice creams. The café has even been dubbed “the place with the most beautiful ice cream in the world.”
The main ingredient in these floral ice cream creations is anko, a sweet red bean paste made from boiled adzuki beans, mashed into a paste, and mixed with sugar. It has a flavor reminiscent of sweet potatoes.
The bouquets come in a variety of colors and flavors, tailored to customer preferences. Some choose to enjoy an entire rose bouquet, while others opt for a mix of different flowers. Each cone is priced at 1,650 yen. Patrons find the price “reasonable given the high artistic value.”
