Instant Rice, a Must-Have for Students Living Alone, Becomes Ice Cream.
Koreans live on rice power! You have probably heard this phrase many times. The common greeting is “Have you eaten?”, and when saying “Let’s meet again,” it’s often “Let’s have a meal together next time!” Korea is a country where people genuinely care about rice. Rice is inseparable from Koreans! For Koreans who love rice so much, the instant rice brand Hetbahn has created a ‘rice ice cream’...! As a true Korean who loves rice, the editor rushed to purchase it. Would it taste as good as riso gelato?! With an excited heart, here is the tasting review.
Hetbahn Rice Cream looks similar to instant rice and comes in a cute size, instantly catching the editor’s eye who loves both rice and rice gelato (Riso gelato). It kind of looks like it would go well with kimchi. Be careful not to microwave it just because it looks similar, or it will be a disaster! There are two versions: white rice and black rice, and personally, I was more curious about the black rice flavor than the white rice one. The downside is that the price is a bit high compared to the quantity.
Price: 2,900 KRW
Volume: 140mL
Rice content: White rice 4.9% / Black rice 4.1%
*Available at all three major convenience store chains.
White Rice Rice Cream
The white rice flavor has a milky white ivory color, so I guessed it would taste like milk, and indeed, it tasted more like a common milk ice cream than riso gelato. Is it just me, or does it naturally remind you of Together ice cream? The difference from other ice creams on the market is that it contains rice grains.
Although not easily visible to the naked eye, when you roll the ice cream around in your mouth, you can feel the texture of the rice grains. “Dad~ rice is rolling around~” However, while the rice in rice gelato has a chewy texture, the rice grains in Rice Cream felt more like raw rice. It had a firmer texture than expected. I felt a bit disappointed, thinking it would have been tastier if the chewy texture of the rice grains had been preserved. If you like milk ice cream, I recommend giving it a try at least once.
Black Rice Rice Cream
The black rice flavor contains slightly less rice than the white rice version, so I was curious about what differences there might be. Honestly, I didn’t notice a big difference when tasting it, but I felt it was a bit lighter and more neutral than the white rice flavor. The difference is very subtle; the white rice flavor is smoother and creamier in texture. But is this purple color really made only from black rice? If so... the color is really beautiful.
Some people say it tastes a little like taro or sweet potato, but the editor didn’t get that impression at all. I guess it might be a placebo effect because of the purple color. Maybe my taste buds are dull…? Still, the rice grains in the black rice flavor stood out more than in the white rice flavor, probably because of the darker color, but the undercooked raw rice feeling wasn’t very pleasant, so I found the black rice Rice Cream, which has a relatively lower rice content, easier to eat. (+TMI: The editor prefers black rice over white rice.)
One-line review of Rice Cream: "Mom~ the rice is undercooked~"
Photo = Jo Yoonjung
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