This is the Futaba Sato Monaka Chestnut, an ice cream monaka featuring a chestnut-shaped wafer filled with chestnut-flavoured ice cream and a chestnut-flavoured sauce.
The kurian (sweet chestnut paste) was the primary ingredient, giving the ice cream its distinct flavour. The monaka measured approximately 10 cm at its widest point and 2 cm in height.
On tasting, the chestnut-shaped wafer provided an immediate novelty factor. It had a light, crisp texture while serving as a neat and practical vessel for the ice cream. The chestnut-flavoured ice cream itself was light and airy, delivering a satisfying bite with a mellow, earthy sweetness, avoiding the heaviness of a full-cream ice cream. The highlight was the melting chestnut paste centre, which offered the most pronounced chestnut flavour, and a contrasting smooth, gooey texture.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and affordable chestnut-flavoured ice cream, well worth purchasing. The addition of chestnut bits in the ice cream could have enhanced the texture and depth of flavour, though it would likely have increased the cost—already very reasonable at $2.50.
This Futaba Sato Monaka Chestnut contained 70 mL. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2025.