Soft-serve ice cream, or “softcream,” as it’s called in Japanese, is one of the country’s most ubiquitous and beloved street foods. And among soft creams, one brand stands out for its high quality and distinctiveness: Cremia.
In contrast to typical soft serve ice creams, Cremia (stylized as CREMIA) has a unique velvety and creamy texture, the result of its unusually high milk fat content, as well as its use of fresh Hokkaido cream. It also has a langue de chat cone, which is more delicate than the typical ice cream cone. It’s like soft-serve’s elegant and worldly older sister, and though it has quite a luxurious feeling, it’s convenient and easy to find once you’re in Japan, available at cafés, restaurants and popular tourist sites.
“The Highest-Quality Soft-Serve Ice Cream Ever Made”
A brainchild of Nissei (stylized as NISSEI), Japan’s top soft serve ice cream manufacturer, Cremia was initially released in 2013, after three years of development and research. It was born from a bold mission statement: “to create the highest quality soft serve ice cream ever made.” To achieve this aim, developers went through over 400 prototypes to determine the right balance of fresh cream, raw milk and skim concentrated milk, all produced in Hokkaido Prefecture, which is renowned for its dairy products.
The finished Cremia is composed of 25% fresh cream and 12.5% milk fat — both unprecedentedly high numbers. (Typical soft-serve, for comparison, has a milk fat percentage of 5–8%.) The team also tested numerous combinations of sugars to find a blend of four that achieved a “sharp” sweetness to counterbalance the rich flavor of milk.
The developers’ next challenge was to find the perfect cone to accompany and enhance their creamy invention. A member in charge of Nissei baked goods proposed using langue de chat, a buttery French confection known for its thin and delicate texture and light, crisp bite. As the langue de chat cookie has long occupied a prominent space in the sweets lexicon of Japan, it seemed like a no-brainer choice. To mold the cookie into an aesthetically pleasing and factory oven-friendly cone shape, however, proved to be a monumental undertaking due to its fragility. Resolving these structural issues without compromising the cookie’s texture was a long and complex process that involved a great deal of trial error and required the assistance of a specialized oven manufacturer.
The final yet crucial touch in Cremia lays in its distinctive form. Soft creams have always been identified by their layered swirls, but Cremia resembles standing whipped cream instead, with ripples extending up vertically. To achieve this shape also required thinking outside the box — the company had to create a new type of nozzle for the cream dispenser.
Where To Find Cremia Soft Cream
You can visit an array of retailers all around Japan to taste this luxurious dessert yourself. It’s available at cafés and dessert spots like LiQumu Harajuku, and it can also be found in restaurants and tourist areas like Nakamise-dori street in Asakusa.
So venture beyond the fleeting summer experience of inhaling a soft serve before it melts while rushing to your next sightseeing destination — instead, take a seat at a cozy café table this winter, open the novel you’ve been meaning to finish and savor the fine harmony of lightness and richness in this well-deserved afternoon treat.
You can find Cremia at stores and restaurants across Japan. Please check the Nissei website for a comprehensive list. Please check with each store in advance for the latest information, business hours, and the lineup of flavors.
