Convenience store chain dials up the green tea content with a super rich matcha collection.

In Japan, festivals aren’t just held on streets, you can find them in stores too. That’s what’s happening at convenience store chain Family Mart right now, where all the excitement of a festival is being captured in a matcha sweets collection, which they’re calling the “Koi Uji Matcha Matsuri” (“Rich Uji Matcha Festival“).

Released for a limited time from 16 April, there are 13 different sweets in the lineup, all containing a rich level of matcha, using powdered green tea sourced from Uji, Japan’s premier matcha-producing region in Kyoto Prefecture. So join us as we rip into all the glossy green bags to see what delights await us at this special green tea festival.

▼ Matcha Mont Blanc (320 yen)

This sweet dessert contains a light and airy matcha-scented cream accented with chocolate ganache. Depending on whether you dip into the sponge or cream, you can enjoy a variety of different textures, all of which deliver a deep, intense level of matcha flavour.

▼ Matcha French Cruller (258 yen)

If you like doughnuts and matcha, this is the treat for you! You can enjoy twice as much matcha here, with the chocolate coating on top and delicate cream inside.

▼ Matcha Baumkuchen (240 yen)

Simple but delicious, this baumkuchen pairs layers of dark matcha sponge with milk sponge and a white chocolate coating to create an elegant taste.

▼ Matcha Dorayaki  (185 yen)

The combination of smooth matcha bean paste and fluffy matcha-infused dough is addictive. If you like Japanese sweets, you’ll definitely fall in love with this one!

▼ Matcha Cream Daifuku (168 yen)

This soft and chewy sweet perfectly matches the bitterness of matcha with sweet cream.

▼ Matcha Gateau au Chocolat (248 yen)

Despite containing white chocolate, this gateau delivers an intense matcha flavour that’s ideal for lovers of green tea and chocolate.

▼ Matcha Financier (180 yen)

If you’re after a simple yet delicious baked treat, you can’t go past a financier, and this one has am excellent matcha flavour and exquisite texture — crispy on the outside and soft and supple on the inside.

▼ Matcha Pound Cake (190 yen)

This cake contains two types of matcha, one with more of an umami flavour and one that’s slightly more bitter, to create a delicious balance of flavour.

▼ Matcha Melon Bread (168 yen)

This matcha take on melon bread has a surprising centre filled with matcha whipped cream and strong matcha paste, imparting a rich sweetness.

▼ The Mini Shimi Choco Corn Matcha (168 yen)

If you like corn snacks as much as you like matcha, then these treats will be right up your alley. With a crunchy texture and sweet flavour, the bittersweetness of the matcha shines bright…like a star.

▼ Crunch Chocolate Rich Matcha (178 yen)

Another crunchy offering, this time with more chocolate in the mix to add extra sweetness to the rich matcha.

▼ Rich Matcha Flavoured Cookies (268 yen)

Proving that sometimes simple is best, these delicious cookies are individually wrapped so they stay fresh for longer, and you can easily share them with your matcha-loving friends.

▼ Soft and Moist Rich Matcha Flavour Cookies (178 yen)

These cookies have a moist and crumbly texture that blurs the line between chocolate and cookie. Though they look sweet, they’re big on matcha flavour.

The one thing we didn’t try from the festival lineup was the Uji Matcha Mochi Monaka Ice Cream (198 yen), but according to reports, it’s just as good and matcha-intense as all the other treats in the range. No matter which item you try, you won’t be disappointed with the “koi” flavour, which dials up the matcha to levels that are way more intense than the green tea sweets sold by the chain last year! 

Related: Family Mart
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