Eating Snow Edit
The Latest Japanese Craze

Eating snow is the latest dessert craze in Japan.  Note: not the yellow type.

“A new dessert sold from a roadside stand in Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district is drawing crowds with its unique taste—exactly like that of freshly fallen snow. Ever eaten really good snow? The appeal isn’t in the flavor (it’s just frozen water) but in what food experts call the mouth-feel. This dessert, called xue-hua-bin (“snowflake ice”), replicates it perfectly: the dry, powdery, airy crystals that crunch lightly in your mouth before quickly melting.
The unique dessert had its origins in Taiwan’s nighttime street fairs, but is slowly making its way around the world. (One of the commenters on my blog found it in an Asian mall in Vancouver.) The Akihabara shop, called Snowflake Village, is the only place to get it in eastern Japan.” - Wired