An ice cream shop launched bizarre savoury flavours based on local specialties in northeast Thailand.

The Times Square Homemade Ice Cream Shop introduced the unusual offerings, including grilled chicken, Chinese sausage, and rose-flavoured rice wine desserts, to reflect the culinary traditions of Khon Kaen.

Assistant manager Haruethai Laokan, 25, said the dessert line themed 'Khon Kaen's Specialties' was created to showcase iconic foods in the province in a more unique way.

Among the shop's creations is a grilled chicken-flavoured ice cream based on the skewers often sold by street vendors in the Khao Suan Kwang district.

Milk ice cream is mixed with grilled chicken seasonings and topped with spoonfuls of dried shallots, caramel, and almonds to create both textural and flavour contrasts.

The shop also sells a rose rice wine sorbet called Sato Rose in a nod to the fermented alcoholic northern Thai beverage.

Haruethai said: 'The Rose Sato-flavoured ice cream uses a special recipe from a local Sato brewer who works with small producers in Nam Phong District. It's blended into a non-dairy sorbet and perfumed with lychee and rose.'

The frozen treat was described as a 'sweet and cold cocktail' with only a small amount of alcohol.

Finally, the store's bestseller is the Jay Im Chinese sausage ice cream, which is a collaboration product with local Chinese sausage shop, Jay Im - a long-standing but little-known deli in the province.

Sweet sausages are roasted with crumbles before being mixed into vanilla ice cream.

Haruethai said: 'Since launching the new menu, we've received a lot of attention especially from tourists and teenagers eager to try something new. The response has exceeded our expectations.

'The Chinese sausage flavour turned out to be the most popular, followed by the Rose Sato. The grilled chicken flavour got mixed reviews. Some liked its uniqueness, while others are still getting used to the taste. But overall, it has been a fresh experience for Thai desserts.

'We want this menu to be a cultural souvenir, so that when people visit Khon Kaen, they're not just taking home grilled chicken or Chinese sausage. They're taking home a taste that will stay with them.'