A limited edition purple ice-cream is generating plenty of excitement in Japan.
Haagen-Dazs have just released their purple sweet potato flavour in the Asian nation, and are attracting lots of love.
Autumn (which those in the northern hemisphere are about to dive into) is sweet potato season, and a Japanese variety of the root vegetable, satsuma-imo, is somewhat of a national treasure.
Although it’s a little sweeter than the orange-skinned cousin we enjoy in Australia, satsuma-imo is widely eaten in savoury dishes such as stews, and is sold roasted on the street. Recently however, it’s been making its way into ice-cream.
In 2012 and 2013, Haagen-Dazs seasonally released their purple potato tub in Japan to much success - and now it's back, to the joy of ice-cream loving locals, while McDonalds have done both a milkshake and soft serve ice-cream from the same sweet potato.
Meanwhile Japan's neighbours in the Philippines enjoy a similar kind of purple ice cream. Ube is a sweet dessert made from boiled purple sweet potato, coconut milk and sugar, and is also popular as an ice-cream flavour.
Back in Australia, a different kind of root vegetable is being used for purple soft serve.
Zero Degrees in Sydney have released a taro flavoured ice-cream which they serve in a puffer-fish-shaped taiyaki - a Japanese cake - used as a cone.
Taro root is native to Southeast Asia and India and is often prepared like a potato.
