[Korean Culture & Language] Mint chocolate chip


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I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Min-cho Ice Cream


If you’ve been keeping tabs on Korean culture, you’d probably know about the mint chocolate craze that swept the country this summer. 


It all began when Baskin-Robbins re-released their mint chocolate chip flavor in January of this year, after having discontinued it in Korea for some time. The release brought on a nationwide debate, mainly among those of the MZ 세대 (the generation that encompasses millennials and Gen Z) because mint chocolate, or 민초 (min-cho, a Koreanized abbreviation of mint chocolate chip), proved to be a 호불호가 갈리는 flavor. The word 호불호 (ho-bul-ho) is used when referring to something that is polarizing or garners strong likes or dislikes. One could say the strong reactions elicited by this controversial ice cream are what contributed to its explosive popularity this year, and even major Korean celebrities did not hesitate to take part in the debate by expressing their opinions on air and through social media.


Those who are team 민초 refer to themselves as “민초단” (min-cho dan, mint chocolate chip army) or “민초파” (min-cho pah, mint chocolate chip group) and those who dislike 민초 because it tastes like toothpaste, among the many reasons for disliking it, are referred to as “반 민초단” (bahn min-cho dan, army against mint chocolate chip). 



In the image above, one anonymous and confused user posed the question on Naver 지식iN, a Naver-powered question and answer platform, “Am I 민초파 or 반 민초?”


Regardless of how one feels about 민초 however, the flavor became undeniably well-known and in response to its trendiness, a seemingly countless number of mint chocolate flavored food and drink items were released. 


Some notable ones are mint chocolate soju, mint chocolate milk, mint chocolate choco pies, and perhaps the most unique of all, mint chocolate fried chicken.




But how did mint chocolate chip ice cream even come about in the first place? According to Baskin-Robbins, it was “one of the original 31 flavors that made up the menu when Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins first opened their doors in 1945” and “unlike other mint chocolate chip ice cream flavors, [Baskin-Robbins’] mint chocolate chip uses a liquid chip instead of typical chocolate chips or flakes.” 


Following the re-release of 민초, Baskin-Robbins locations in Korea came out with Mincho Bonbon, a mint ice cream flavor that features crunchy chocolate bon bon balls, an Oreo cookie and mint flavor, a mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich, and a Mincho Bonbon shake. 


Share with us in the comments below: are you 민초단 or  반 민초단?

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