Matcha Heaven

Enjoying matcha tea and other confectionery made from it is one of the great pleasures of living in Japan where access to the freshest supplies is plentiful. A few weeks ago a friend invited me on an early morning excursion to sample some of the richest matcha ice cream in the world, an opportunity I could not pass up!

Nanaya

壽々喜園 浅草本店

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Nanaya, from Shizuoka Prefecture, opened their first store in Tokyo earlier this year in Asakusa and we arrived early morning to avoid the long queues.

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They offer 7 different levels of matcha ice cream to choose from where level 1 is creamy and sweet, while 7 is bitter and rich. They also have a few other flavours like chocolate, strawberry and sesame.

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Of course, we went straight for the deep green level 7. I can only describe the flavour as intense with a notably coarse texture from the densely ground tea leaves. Delectable in the extreme!

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We also gave the sesame a try which gave a nice contrast both in taste and colour to the matcha. I’d highly recommend both if you’re the sort of person who likes 99% dark chocolate.

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Afterwards, we enjoyed a walk around nearby Kappabashi (合羽橋) or Kitchen Town where you can buy all manner of kitchenware, including some rather fabulous Japanese knives.

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Pet pig

On the way, we ran into a man who appeared to be taking his pet pig for a walk. The mind boggles at how one would keep such a large swine in a small Japanese apartment.

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To top off the morning we had coffee at Bridge, a nicely designed cafe attached to an architectural firm.

David avatar

4 responses

  1. Elly avatar
    Elly

    Nice! 抹茶アイスクリームが大好きです!Matcha aisukuriimu ga dai suki desu!
    Your pictures of Asakusa also gives me ‘homesick’ feeling…

  2. Seth avatar
    Seth

    This is great! I have to go next time I’m in Tokyo.

  3. Serhat avatar
    Serhat

    Great blog and great photos! Can I ask what device do you use?

    1. Thanks Serhat! I use a Fuji XT-1 with 23mm F1.4 lens.

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