As you wander through Japan, keep an eye out for the enigmatic emerald dessert of your dreams: Japan’s mysterious Melon Soda.
No one knows exactly who started making this delightfully refreshing treat or when, but we do know a drink called ‘Cream Soda’ became popular in Japan in the 1970s, although the name was quite misleading. The green-tinged soda is actually more melon in taste than cream - until you mix it with ice cream.
Melon cream soda is an ice cream float consisting of melon-flavored soda, a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and sometimes a cherry on top. They are mainly served in coffee parlors, or kissaten. If you’re looking for a fizzy dessert to follow your cinnamon toast or set lunch, we can assure you that melon cream soda is tried and true.
A popular theory is that the idea for melon cream soda most likely stemmed from America’s root beer and Coca-Cola floats. There is something especially aesthetically pleasing about Japan’s signature twist on those old classics.
Each restaurant has their own way of concocting melon cream soda, but some aspects that are consistent no matter where you go are its mildly-sweet flavor, the creamy texture after mixing the ice cream with the soda and, most of all, the visual appeal and satisfying combination of colors. Watching the off-white slowly dissolve into the green tones is a mesmerizing experience and borderline contemporary art.
Over the years, melon cream soda toppings have evolved to become pretty adventurous. Some places add little chunks of jello-esque “jelly” for more texture, while others use completely different flavors of soda, such as pineapple or ramune (Japanese marble soda). Some beverage companies even made their own cream flavored melon soda that can be bought at vending machines.
If you have plans to visit Japan this summer, do NOT leave the country without indulging in this summer staple. Take some time for the simple pleasures in life.
Here’s our top five spots to stop and try melon cream soda in Kyoto:
Salon de thé François (Kiyamachi)
Maeda Coffee (Muromachi)
Shin-setsu (Kyoto Kawaramachi)
La Madrague (Nakagyo Ward)
Soiree (Kiyamachi)
