Seriously, One Fishy Condiment Belongs On Your Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla ice cream is the perfect base for experimenting with toppings to your heart's content. The creamy, silky flavor of the vanilla assuages your taste buds, setting the stage for additional flavors to shine. While there is no shortage of unique ice cream toppings available, furikake is still quite the wild card.

Furikake is a much-loved Japanese seasoning made from dried seaweed, sesame seeds, salt, sugar, and sometimes dried fish. There are a number of variations on the condiment, but the flavor profile remains largely the same, delivering a salty, savory profile with almost nutty undertones. There is also an oceanic taste, but it's not overly fishy. How does it work with vanilla ice cream, you ask? Surprisingly well! It's a real fusion of sweet and salty, as well as creamy and crunchy.

Toasted sesame seeds are a popular addition to desserts around the world given their potent flavor despite their small size. Even among nori, dried fish, and sometimes chili flakes, sesame seeds still pack a punch and come through when sprinkled on vanilla ice cream.

If you're hesitant about the fish, take heart that many furikake blends are made without it, and the seaweed provides many of the same briny notes in any case. You also don't need to overdo it with this condiment. Unlike traditional toppings like chocolate chips or sprinkles, which need to be added generously (at least in our opinion), furikake already stands out with its lack of sweetness. The crunch it offers is subtle, but the flavors take the wheel here, so too much will be overwhelming, fast.

Furikake is famed for its adaptability in recipes, a little like the vanilla of the umami world. It's most commonly sprinkled over plain white rice to complement the pillowy softness with a crunchy, salty addition. Where seasonings traditionally play an ensemble role, furikake is the star in many dishes. As far as incorporating it into dessert, there are a few things to keep in mind. People have been adding umami, spicy flavors like hot sauce to ice cream or sriracha to chocolate ice cream for years, so this isn't actually so big of a culinary leap. Many furikake blends include wasabi, gochujang powder, or red pepper flakes for a kick.

For the fishy element, salmon or bonito flakes (made from skipjack tuna) are the go-tos — though regional varieties depend on availability. In Hawaii, for instance, Ahi tuna is a prevalent addition to local blends. Ultimately, the type of fish won't make such a huge difference as an ice cream topping, so just go with your favorite. The salmon version is reported to have a mild sweetness to it, which might bridge the gap between the ice cream and furikake more smoothly than the brinier options.