New York Times

The New York Times Temptation; For Purists, Green Tea Ice Cream with an Asian Aura

By Amanda Hesser Published: October 28, 1998 In the small world of green tea ice cream, there is little variety. In most New York restaurants where it is served -- unless it is made in-house -- you will usually find one of just two kinds.

One is creamy, like an American ice cream flavored with powdered green tea. If it were sushi, it would be the California roll.

The other is raw, pure and without buffers -- the counterpart of salmon-egg sushi. This kind of green tea ice cream, which surfaces at a number of restaurants around New York, is icy and metallic and only slightly sweet, vanishing off your palate like a sliver of ice. It is unmistakable when you see it: while the American-style green tea ice cream is mint green, this one is dark and gorgeous, the color of a sage leaf.

Appropriately, it is made by Mr. Green Tea, an ice cream company in Staten Island.

Mr. Green Tea is none other than Sam Emanuele -- the man who unleashed green tea ice cream upon New York 30 years ago. He said he came up with the idea for green tea ice cream out of boredom. ''Everything was vanilla,'' he said. ''And, you know, I knew someone in Philadelphia who was doing some experiments, and we were discussing, and he said, 'Here's a good idea.'

The Japanese restaurants were growing like mushrooms and why not try them?'' That was in the 1970's.

So he worked on a recipe for green tea ice cream and peddled it to Japanese restaurant owners, who then coached him on how to refine it. He listened carefully.

Besides green tea, Mr. Emanuele also makes the regular flavors -- vanilla and chocolate - as well as ginger and red bean ice cream. And though he is planning to sell to small Asian grocery stores soon, for now Mr. Green Tea is sold exclusively to restaurants, and lots of them -- including Yama on East 17th Street and the two Lenge locations, on Columbus Avenue (69th Street) and Third Avenue (82d Street). At Mottsu (285 Mott Street, near East Houston Street, 212-343-8017), Mr. Green Tea's ice cream is $3.50 for two scoops and is available as takeout. But better hurry home!