The Rising Trend of Asian Dessert SomiSomi

A popular Asian ice cream dessert paired with a mochi bread taiyaki and other colorful toppings is quickly gaining popularity in the Bay Area. With locations in Westfield Valleyfair and Cupertino, it is common to see a long line of people crowding around the store, who are all willing to wait to try this sweet dessert. For those who have not heard of SomiSomi, it is an irresistible Korean-inspired soft serve in ornate fish-shaped cones. Flavors such as milk tea, matcha, black sesame and ube come in thick swirls and sit on fish-shaped waffles called taiyaki. Taiyaki is named after the red seabream fish and is believed to have originated in Tokyo during the late 19th century. Now a classic Japanese street food, taiyakis are commonly filled with sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. At SomiSomi, they can also be filled with cheddar, Nutella, taro, custard or a red bean cream cheese. Customers can choose to enjoy the rich soft-serve ice cream by itself or with addition to the taiyaki bread and toppings, a combination that is known as “Ah-Boong” in Korea. This vibrant, aesthetically pleasing  ice cream, embellished with toppings such as strawberries or Fruity pebbles, is perfect for Instagram pictures. Choosing from a variety of flavors and toppings, customers have the opportunity to create colorful combinations that is appealing to the eye and taste buds. In the past few years, Asian desserts have been quickly gaining popularity in the Bay Area, with milk tea and now SomiSomi soft serve ice cream stores being established in new locations. As these new desserts make their mark in San Jose, what will be the next trending cultural food everyone is excited to try?