Japan. Endles Discovery.

Taste of Japan Yummy Fun Truck

Yummy Fun Truck Hitting the Streets of Melbourne!

What do you do when Qantas launches a new flight from Melbourne to Tokyo? Celebrate of course! The Taste of Japan Yummy Fun Truck will roam Melbourne streets dishing out Japanese themed ice creams and a chance to play a Japanese game show to win a holiday. Sugoi! (Awesome!)

The truck will visit multiple locations in Melbourne starting at Southern Cross Station on Sunday 19 February, hitting different hotspots every weekend until Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 March.

Not only can you sample some incredible Japan inspired FREE ice cream, you will also have the chance to win one of five return holidays for two people to Japan. To win, participants have to take part in a Japanese inspired game show and take their chances at the Yummy Fun Truck vending machine.

Working with the geniuses at Gelato Messina, JNTO has developed eight amazing and unusual flavour combinations, from Make My Dai Dai to Wasa-Beri. Each weekend, the Taste of Japan Yummy Fun Truck will have four different flavours on offer:

	Go ahead Make My Dai Dai Satsuma mandarin curd gelato with dai dai and strawberry citrus gel One of the most popular destinations in Japan. Nothing is normal in Harajuku, Tokyo. The fruity land of fashion is home to a crazy mix. From colourful kids to cat cafes, what seems wrong is ever so right, you will definitely want your fix.
	Yam Bam Thank You Ma’am Banana and Koji gelato with sweet potato ganache “Ishi ya-kiimo, yaki-imo, yaki-imo”, “Stone-baked sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, baked potatoes” sings the Yaki-imo Man of Japan. For over 400 years, the call of street food vendors have travelled with the wind across cities. The sweet potato seller’s call is synonymous with winter and invokes nostalgic childhood memories. But be wary where you heal the hunger within, as not all street vendors offer such sweet fare. Only the bravest of appetites will handle “shioyaki”, grilled and salted fish on a stick.
	Saké Slinger Saké and green apple sorbet Hidden on a mountain top in ancient times, the ‘drink of the gods’ was born. A rice fermented concoction that went on to put fire in the bellies of men and placated the gods in ceremony for centuries to come. Steeped in tradition, Saké is still used in Shinto ceremony today. From a sweet sip in Shimane to a nip in Niigata one can hear the cheer of “Kampai”, or the Japanese cheers, float by on the winds of happiness. Hopefully not too much happiness.
	Wasa-Berri Strawberry and wasabi sorbet The Geisha float in kimonos, delicate and gentle. They’re trained in traditional arts, such as classical music, tea ceremony and dance. But within lies another skill; the ability to engage in clever conversation and make their guests feel at ease. On the outside is beauty, and the inside is intelligence, delicate yet daring, a creation like no other. Living only within the Hanamachi precincts of cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, they shuffle gracefully off cobbled and secret streets to await your visit within the walls of an old tea house. One that you may never find unless you’re willing to discover real Japan.
	Samurai Cheesecake Umeboshi gelato, plum puree and baked Japanese cheesecake Samurai were the warriors of premodern Japan. Fueled with the secret power of Umeboshi, a salted pickled plum, they were men of unequaled power. They lived by the strict code of Bushido, practicing loyalty, courage and honour, which bred tales of heroism. To this day Umeboshi is still eaten throughout Japan, though more for seasoning than for their medicinal qualities. In cities like Kanazawa, this ancient power food can be found amongst the relics and artefacts of this ancient time, all the while continuing the legend of the Samurai.
	Matcha Mistachio Matcha gelato with pistachio milk chocolate fudge Matcha is specially processed powdered green tea. As old as the temples of Kyoto, the legend of Matcha green tea continues, served by the Geisha in Gion during tea ceremony with a traditional sweet. This antioxidant-rich green tea delicately soothes the mind and is an essential experience in Japan.
	Yummi Umami Caramel miso gelato with chewy caramel For thousands of years Japan was troubled by a force, one they could not understand or resist. The greatest of gods and the soundest of minds were found crumbled by its power. Only recently was it revealed to be the mysterious 5th taste or Umami. Not sweet, not bitter, but savoury… and completely irresistible. Hidden within the bowls of Miso, Umami is still found and still invincible.
	Balmi Hanami Cherry blossom gelato with lychee puree “O Cherry Blossoms, Fall! Fall! Enough to fill my belly” wrote Kobayashi Issa in his 1814 Haiku. For centuries, the burst of pink from the first sakura, or cherry Blossom, commands celebration. For with spring comes life, hope and beauty. A blush beauty that covers the skies and sees men sink into Hanami, the unique Japanese custom of flower gazing… and now not only magic to the eye, but tasty to the tongue.

Experience all Japan has to offer by visiting for yourself. Qantas now fly daily from Melbourne to Tokyo (Narita). For more information and to book, visit
http://www.qantas.com/au/en/destinations/asia/japan/tokyo.html