Growing up in Tokyo opened a door to a whole new world of sweets. Meiji from Japan and Lotte from South Korea made some tasty stuff for us to eat when we were on the 45 minute train ride home from school. These days, almost all of the same things are available in a good Asian food store. One of the favorites of me and a few of my friends was something called Kinoko no Yama or Mushroom Mountain. It is a treat with a crisp biscuit stem and a chocolate cap.
They're supposed to resemble little mushrooms. Being teenagers at the time, we had a different name for them and as juvenile as it is, the name has stuck with me all these years later. This being a blog for ice cream lovers of all ages, the silly name my friends deemed our after school treat will go unmentioned. But as a nod to those days walking to Tamabochimae Station, the snack will now go by the name Monkey Head. Crawl into the head of a group of 15 year old boys and you'll figure it out. Although Monkey Head may not be something you would try when looking at the big board in an ice cream store, it sounds better than Mushroom Mountain.
What I have learned over time with these Monkey Heads is that they do not freeze well and they are difficult to mix-in after the mix goes into the hard freeze after coming out of the machine. They seem to work best after the ice cream is scooped and sticking straight out - like a mushroom - except mushroom ice cream just sounds gross. I love these little Monkey Heads and they taste as good in ice cream as they do on their own.
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Sugar
2/3 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Pinch of Salt
10 Monkey Heads
In ice cream, Monkey Head is always a big household favorite. So much so that the last two times I went to Tokyo for work the only thing I was asked to get more Monkey Heads as well as any other candy I could fit in my suitcase. Not only do Monkey Heads come in different flavors, but can be matched to other ice cream flavors as well.
Enjoy!
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