We try the sakura macaron and cherry blossom iced drink from Lindt Japan

Lindt blends its signature chocolate flavour with sakura and pairs it with a delicious macaron for the cherry blossom-viewing season.

When we found out that Lindt was welcoming spring with a re-release of their sakura delicacies from last year, we knew we would have to pay them a visit. And as soon as we stopped by, we could see why these seasonal delights are so popular: they look absolutely delicious!

The Délice Sakura macarons and the Lindt Iced White Chocolate Sakura Drink receive plenty of promotion both outside and inside the store.

After placing our order, we had our treats out on the terrace to enjoy the gloriously sunny spring day and experience the seasonal delicacies to the full.

The gorgeous-looking Iced White Chocolate Sakura Drink is available to take away in a plastic cup at Lindt cafes in Omotesando, Kichijoji, Shibuya, Lumine Kitasenju, Yokohama Bay Quarter, and Nagoya Lachic for 772 yen ($6.76), or served in an elegant glass at the Lindt cafes in Ginza and Jiyugaoka for 1,388 yen (US$12.18).

The drink is topped with freshly whipped cream, a glistening, pink sakura-flavoured syrup and shards of shaved white chocolate. If you dine in at the Ginza cafe, they’ll add a syrup-soaked cherry blossom petal on top for added decoration.

Underneath the luscious topping is a pale pink mixture containing Lindt white chocolate, Amarena cherry syrup and pureed Morello cherry, along with a touch of salt.

It was a shame to destroy the beautiful topping, but the taste was well worth it. The white chocolate base made the drink taste surprisingly like a liquid version of one of their signature round chocolate Lindt Balls, with a hint of sweetly sour cherry thrown into the mix. It was absolutely delicious, and while the white chocolate flavour was prominent, the use of two cherry varieties provided a fruity highlight which, when combined with the syrup, created a pleasant sakura aftertaste.

The Sakura Délice are available at the Ginza, Omotesando, Jiyugaoka, Kichijoji, Shibuya, Lumine Kitasenju, Yokohama Bay Quarter, and Nagoya Lachic cafes for 302 yen ($2.66) each.

One of the most distinctive characteristics of a good macaron are the beautiful layers of texture, as displayed here with the crispy outer shell, the moist biscuit and chewy ganache filling.

While the creamy, chocolatey sakura drink was absolutely decadent, the macaron provided a more light and airy way to enjoy the taste of cherry. The texture was wonderful, with the outer shell providing a slight crunch against the moist centre.

The ganache filling, made from a mixture of white chocolate, pureed cherry, sakura-flavored syrup and a light salt seasoning, brought the salty-sweet flavour of sakura to the fore. In the very centre of the sweet was a round piece of cherry confit, which provided a sour, fruity counterpoint to the sakura flavour. It was light, fruity and fragrant yet moist and creamy at the same time.

We were impressed by the mixture of fruity, floral flavours in both the drink and the sweet macaron. Incorporating the well-known taste of Lindt chocolate into the seasonal items brought out a rich and creamy sakura flavour which we’ll definitely be going back for! If you’d like to try the limited-release sakura items from Lindt, they’re available now, and throughout the hanami cherry blossom viewing period, until 12 April.

Follow Oona on Twitter for all the latest in limited-edition Japan releases and information about new openings and restaurants around Tokyo.

SoraNews24 —Japan News—