Judges test tastebuds in search of winning flavor at Baskin Robbins contest in Seoul

The ice cream giant invited 40 lucky judges to its flagship Workshop by Baskin Robbins store in Seoul’s Gangnam District on Wednesday to help select the next star flavor from a list of entries submitted by members of the public.

Members of a group judges selected from Baskin Robbins customers taste candidate flavors for the "Graymat Flavor Contest" at the Workshop by Baskin Robbins flagship store in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on July 30. [BASKIN ROBBINS]

Ever dreamed of creating your own Baskin Robbins flavor? This year’s “Graymat Flavor Contest” is turning that dream into a very creamy reality.

The ice cream giant invited 40 lucky judges to its flagship “Workshop by Baskin Robbins” store in Seoul’s Gangnam District on Wednesday to help select the next star flavor from a list of entries submitted by members of the public. The event marked a new twist in the brand’s annual contest, with a live tasting round introduced to deepen customer participation.

Thirty of the judges were selected via the Happy Point app, joined by 10 representatives from contest sponsors Shinhan Bank’s SOL Travel and food delivery platform Baemin. The panel sampled the top three flavors — selected through a public online vote — and rated them on taste, texture and creativity.

The tasting wasn’t just about licking spoons. Judges received official credentials, took a pledge, toured the open kitchen and got a peek at the ingredients behind the inventive entries.

A judge taste candidate flavors for the "Graymat Flavor Contest" at the Workshop by Baskin Robbins flagship store in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on July 30. [BASKIN ROBBINS]

Final rankings will blend the public tasting scores with evaluations from an internal judging panel. The winning flavor will hit Baskin Robbins stores nationwide in October — but only for a limited time.

The grand prize for the winning flavor is 10 million won ($7,180), followed by 7 million won for the second-place Shinhan SOL Travel Award and 3 million won for the third-place Baemin Award. Trophies are also part of the prize package.

“We held the tasting event to let customers experience the Graymat campaign more vividly,” a company spokesperson said. “We hope everyone stays tuned for the big reveal in September.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]