We try the new Family Mart Uji matcha sweets before they go on sale in Japan

Find out which of these green tea treats is worth the calories.

On 27 March, Family Mart announced it would be holding its annual “Matcha Fair” for the fifth year running, and this time it would be a celebration of matcha and strawberries, with a total of seven new items in the collection.

With one treat going on sale from 28 March and the rest available from 1 April, we were lucky enough to taste six out of the seven items in the range ahead of the official release, so join us as we take you through them, so you can decide which ones are worth the money…and the calories.

▼ First up, we have the Yuzu Matcha Cheese Soufflé (298 yen [US$1.98])

This luxurious cheese soufflé cake is infused with the delicious flavours of matcha and black beans, giving it bagfuls of Japanese flavour. The yuzu jam on top provides a hit of citrus refreshment to cut through the richness, creating a deliciously decadent yet well-rounded sweet.

▼ Matcha and Strawberry Tiramisu (348 yen)

This multi-layered dessert contains matcha tiramisu mousse, a matcha sponge, matcha chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, and strawberry-flavoured whipped cream. Despite all the green tea elements, the strawberry takes over here, hitting the taste buds with fruity sweetness before rounding out with matcha lingering in the aftertaste.

▼ Matcha and Strawberry Tart (258 yen)

This treat is significantly lighter on the fruit components, with freeze-dried strawberry pieces on top and a thin layer of strawberry Gateau chocolate in the base. This allows the matcha to shine through on the palate, delivering earthy notes of green tea in the smooth chocolate filling and the crispy pastry casing.

▼ Matcha Chocolate Covered Peach Gummy (213 yen)

Those wanting to explore a different matcha-and-fruit pairing will enjoy this pack of heaven, with soft, gummy peach centres coated in layers of crispy matcha chocolate. The two very different textures create an exciting mouthfeel, giving each component time to dance solo on your tongue, before melding together for a deliciously harmonious and addictive aftertaste.

▼ Matcha Strawberry Tart (258 yen)

Though the English name on these describes them as “tartlets”, they’re officially known as “tarts” in Japanese. Whatever you choose to call them, though, they’ll win you over, with the strawberry jam centres providing delicious sweetness to the matcha pastry, working together to provide a harmonious blend of fruit and green tea in equal measures.

▼ Strawberry Chocolate Uji Matcha (348 yen)

If you love tart strawberries then you’ll love this treat, with the strong acidity of the freeze-dried fruit centre standing up well to the thick coating of matcha chocolate surrounding it. With its refreshing aftertaste, this is a sweet that’s perfect for cleansing the palate after meals.

The earthy green flavour of matcha is an excellent pairing for fruit, and every single item we tried was a perfect example of the delicious harmony that exists between them. Whether you prefer more fruit, more matcha, or an even dose of each in your sweets, there’s something to suit the palate of every matcha lover in this collection.

▼ Our pick of the bunch, however is the Yuzu Matcha Cheese Soufflé.

The compatibility between matcha, cheese and yuzu is truly outstanding, and the bittersweet tartness of the cheese is perfectly balanced, creating a sublime dessert that’s definitely worth the calories.

It was so good it made up for us missing out on the seventh item in the range, the Tsujiri Matcha Strawberry Sandwich (248 yen). Made in conjunction with esteemed matcha specialists Gion Tsujiri, the sandwich is one of the hardest items to get, so until we find it we’ll just have to console ourselves with the new Mister Donut x Gion Tsujiri matcha doughnut collection.

Photos©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit: