The Best Melona Ice Cream Is A Super Trendy Flavor

Browse the frozen desserts section at Costco and you may come across a row of colorful boxes packed with flavored ice cream treats labeled Melona. Melona first catapulted onto the Korean cold sweets scene in the early 90s with a honeydew flavor. The green blocks perched on a popsicle stick became synonymous with the brand, even inspiring pieces of art. In a few years, the brand reached international markets throughout Asia and across the world with a lineup of flavors that include banana, pistachio, and mango. Our Tasting Table team accepted the pleasurable task of trying several different flavors of the ice cream bars before concluding that one in particular stood out above the rest: Ube Melona.

Often found in Filipino cuisine and baking, ube is an earthy yet subtly sweet purple yam that even offers health benefits in its natural form. Extracts and powders are commonly used in recipes, and the Melona bars manage to capture this unique flavor in a creamy, cold treat.

Melona's purple ice cream bars deliver that same nutty and sweet flavor that ube is known for. An earthy flavor is complemented by quiet whispers of vanilla, and when packaged into a creamy, cold bar, provides a treat that is almost too easy to snack on. In one carton, eight slender packages reveal individually portioned rectangular purple ice cream bars. The texture of the ice cream bar itself is smooth, like butter, and a hint of coconut helps round out the tasting experience. If you're looking for a different kind of dessert to stock in your home, this is a good place to start.

Melona prides itself on offering a gelato-like eating experience, and these ube ice cream treats deliver. If you are struggling to find the purple cartons at your local market, you can check the Melona website for shopping guidance. In addition to ice cream bars, Melona makes mochi, flavored milks, and ice cream cartons of various fruity flavors.