Green tea lovers are going crazy for the taste and look of this unusual new dessert.

While matcha lovers will know that Uji in Kyoto is one of Japan’s premier regions for high-quality powdered green tea, there’s another top tea-producing area much closer to the capital of Tokyo that’s just as well-known by tea connoisseurs.

Shizuoka Prefecture, which lies less than 200 kilometres (124 miles) away from the country’s capital, accounts for 40 percent of Japan’s total cultivated tea areas, compared to Uji’s 4 percent, and is known for its picturesque stretches of tea fields, which thrive in the prefecture’s warm climate.

Visitors who travel from Tokyo to Kyoto on the Shinkansen pass through Shizuoka on the way, and while many wouldn’t think to stop off at this mid-point, there’s now a good reason to, because a local green tea producer is offering up this spectacular treat for customers.

Oyaizu Seicha, the company behind the product, have used their green-tea expertise to create a popular range of gelato, which comes in seven different flavours.

The most popular flavour in the range is the “Classic Strong Matcha“, which contains the deepest bittersweet green tea flavour, and now it’s this variety that’s being given an extra boost with the addition of a stunning gold-leaf coating.

Only the best ingredients are put into these fresh, high-quality gelato treats, and this extends to the type of gold leaf used, which is sourced from Kanazawa, an area with a respected history of traditional gold leaf production stemming back to the Azuchi Momoyama Period (1568-1603).

The “Gold-leaf Matcha” gelato retails for 900 yen (US$8), and its good looks have it destined to be a hit on social media. If you’re looking for even more frozen delights combining matcha with gold leaf, don’t forget to keep an eye out for Kinkaku Soft, located just a short walk away from the famous Golden Pavilion in Kyoto.

Shop information
Oyaizu Seicha / 小柳津清一
Address: Shizuoka-ken, Shizuoka-shi, Suruga-ku, Mukoshikiji, 1198-1
静岡県静岡市駿河区向敷地1198-1
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Closed Sundays.
Website

Source: @Press
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