Masters of their crafts in Tokyo and Kyoto team-up for a very unusual, but very appealing, innovation.

It might be hard to believe, but matcha sweets are, for the most part, actually a relatively recent addition to the Japanese culinary scene. Yes, green tea ice cream has been a thing for a long time, and a handful of traditional Japanese confectionaries used matcha, but for the most part matcha was a beverage, not a flavoring.

Of course, modern Japanese society has now fully embraced all sorts of sweet matcha treats. But what about using matcha as a seasoning for something savory?

Maisen is a Tokyo pork cutlet restaurant that was founded in 1965, which also has pre-prepared takeout shops in some Japanese department stores’ food sections. One of their biggest hits is their hire katsu (pork tenderloin cutlet) sandwich, pictured above. This summer they’re offering a new version, created in partnership with tea-brand Iemon (part of the Suntory group): a katsu sandwich made with matcha!?!

The cutlet itself is the same deep-fried slice of tenderloin that Maisen fans know and love, but the soft, crustless bread is matcha infused, with Iemon green tea powder kneaded into the dough before baking. Maisen promises a refreshing green tea flavor and aroma as you bite into the bread, and even the sweet and savory katsu sauce that’s poured on the cutlet slices is a special matcha version made just for this collaboration.

Maisen’s Iemon Hire Katsu Sandwich goes on sale June 1, priced at 540 yen (US$3.70). In recognition of the Iemon brand’s Uji/Kyoto Prefecture roots, it’ll be available at the Maisen branches in the Kyoto Daimaru, JR Kyoto Isetan, Kyoto Porta department stores/shopping centers, and will also be coming to the Osaka World Expo via a Maisen food truck, though there’s no exact date announced for that yet. Meanwhile, here in Tokyo we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed and our stomachs growling that this special sandwich eventually makes its way to east Japan too.

Source: Maisen, PR Times via Japaaan
Top image: Maisen
Insert images: PR Times
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