We try the new full-sized matcha Oreo cookies from Japan

The full-sized Oreo sandwich cookie now comes filled with a delicious green tea matcha cream centre.

In recent years, Yamazaki-Nabisco has teased us with a number of matcha-flavoured Oreo delicacies like “Soft Cookies”, “Bits Sandwiches”, and mini chocolate bars, all while steering clear of adding the flavor to the original regular-sized biscuit. That all changed this month, however, when the iconic sandwich cookie finally appeared with a green, matcha cream-filled centre.

▼ Despite being released on March 7, it wasn’t until last week that we finally found the regular-sized matcha Oreos in stock at the local supermarket.

This is the latest product in the Japan Original Oreo “Uji Matcha Series”, which blends a number of Oreo-branded chocolates and biscuits with matcha produced from Uji in Kyoto, one of the nation’s most revered tea-growing regions.

▼ Exclusive to Japan, the Matcha Oreo Cream Sandwich Cookies contain two individually wrapped packs of nine biscuits.

Upon opening one of the packs, we’re greeted by the familiar biscuit wafer, only this time, it’s accompanied by the distinct aroma of powdered green tea.

▼ And instead of the creamy white centres we all know and love, these have a vibrant green filling.

Popping them out on a plate, we could see just how eye-catching the new centres look. With snacks like these, all your friends and neighbours will be wanting to come over for a bite of afternoon green tea!

We couldn’t resist opening up one of the cookies to take a peek at the cream inside. It looks identical in size and shape to a regular Oreo filling, only this time it’s a beautiful green colour.

On its own, the cream is rich, milky and buttery, with a sweet flavour that whirls around the mellow bitterness of green tea. If you like the powdered tea served at traditional tea ceremonies, this will have you hooked as the pleasant aftertaste is reminiscent of the foam on a freshly whipped bowl of matcha tea.

Taking a bite of the biscuit builds up the rich bitter flavours thanks to the dark chocolate wafers. With the first delightful crunch, there’s an initial flavour of bitter chocolate, quickly followed by a coating of matcha cream on the tongue, which ends with a deep, elongated aftertaste of dark chocolate.

And because half the fun of an Oreo is in the dunking, we immediately fill up a glass with milk and employ a handy dipping hack by wedging a fork into the cream centre.

After submerging the biscuit for a good period, we lift it out of the glass for a taste.

If you thought dunking regular Oreos was good, this will make your toes curl. The addition of milk subdues the bitter flavour of the chocolate wafers while enhancing the creaminess of the matcha, bringing out the milky taste of a matcha latte, only in cookie form. The combination is so delicious we couldn’t resist finishing off the pack this way.

Currently on sale at supermarkets and confectionery stores around the country for 238 yen (US$2.10), be sure to add this to your growing list of must-try matcha items from Japan!

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