This Imuraya Melon Ball Sherbet made its debut back in 1972, a time when melons held an even more premium price in Japan. The ingenious notion was to craft a melon-flavoured sherbet, granting children the illusion of consuming real melon. Since then, the line has expanded to peach and watermelon variations.
Presented in the guise of a melon-shaped ball, the sherbet measured around 7 cm in diameter and contained a 5% infusion of melon juice.
Sporting a pale green hue, its texture bore a faintly gummy quality, possibly attributed to the presence of xanthan gum, and exhibited a subtle frothiness as it melted. Remarkably, this texture proved to be delightful, evading the excessive iciness that tends to plague sorbets stored in conventional freezers. Upon the initial tasting, the melon flavour was quick to establish its presence, encapsulating the innate juicy sweetness of ripe melons without venturing into excessive sweetness. Overall, the vibrant melon flavour, coupled with its gentle texture and subdued sweetness, was further enhanced by the endearing melon-shaped presentation, which was both reusable and charming.
This Imuraya Melon Ball Sherbet contained 170 mL. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2023.