Home furnishings have never been so bittersweet.
Over the years Ikea has firmly cemented its position as the best furniture store to eat at in Japan. Now, they have teamed up with Japan’s hands-down most delicious confection flavor matcha to create the most powerful line of theme desserts known to humankind.
From 28 April to 26 June, Ikea Japan will be holding the Matcha Fair in celebration of “new tea season.” This is the first tea picking season of the year in which the sweetest tasting tea is harvested. And “sweet” is the name of the game in this Matcha Fair with an all-star lineup of green tea infused desserts.
Front and center in this menu is the Matcha and Warabimochi Pancakes for 700 yen (US$5.40). This stack of three matcha-flavored pancakes is topped with a big dollop of whipped cream, kuromitsu syrup, chunky azuki bean paste and some warabimochi, which is a gelatinous cube made of starch and coated in sweet roasted soy bean powder.
And that’s just the tip of the tea leaf! Next up is the Matcha Gateau Chocolat for 350 yen. The name pretty much says it all with this one; it’s a slice of chocolate cake with a whole lot of green tea mixed in for extra flavor.
If that’s not creamy enough for your liking, then the Matcha Mont Blanc may have what your looking from. This is a very thick layer of green tea icing on top of a relatively small base of regular cream and cake, all for 290 yen.
Ichigo Daifuku is arguably one of the greatest Japanese confections ever made, and with the added flavor of green tea, the Matcha Ichigo Daifuku may very well be unstoppable. For 190 yen this treat is a whole strawberry nestled in a bed of smooth azuki bean paste which is all wrapped in a chewy mochi casing that in this instance is blended with the taste of matcha.
And what matcha dessert collection would be complete without a lovely Matcha Tart. The thick and buttery sweet foundation of a tart is given just that right subtle tinge of bitterness to make a delectable treat for 390 yen.
But if an even creamier bittersweetness is in order, then look no further than the Matcha Soufflé Roll. A fluffy green tea cake encircles a huge reservoir of matcha cream for 290 yen.
Bringing a little alliterative flare to the menu is the Matcha Muffin for 250 yen. Simply making a green tea flavored muffin would have been great enough, but Ikea went the extra mile and added some orange zest too.
And what do we have here?! Even plain bagels tend to be hard to come by in Japan, so it’s a very special surprise to find a Matcha Bagel in this mix. In addition to the green bread, little bits of white chocolate can be found as well, all for 200 yen.
The Matcha Sundae once again brings all the Japanese sweet toppings together for just 250 yen. It’s a base of green tea ice cream topped with chunky azuki bean paste, warabimochi, and kuromitsu syrup.
Or for those who want the pure enjoyment of ice cream flavored with Uji matcha, a cone of Matcha Soft Serve is also available for 120 yen.
Needless to say, it’s a pretty killer lineup of desserts, and if it’s too difficult to choose, Ikea is willing to lend a hand with the Matcha Afternoon Tea Set. This is a plate of Matcha Gateau Chocolat, Matcha Ichigo Daifuku, and Match Mont Blanc, along with a tea or coffee from the drink bar for 590 yen.
Any matcha fan ought to be sure to head over to the nearest Ikea while the Matcha Fair is underway, but beware that supplies may vary from store to store. I have a feeling a lot of this stuff is going to sell fast too, so be sure to get there soon. You may even find some furniture there, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Source, images: PR Times
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