Starbucks Sakura and Matcha donut is a perfect Japanese springtime sweet【Taste test】

Two of Japan’s best dessert flavors combine in a springtime ring of deliciousness.

We know this is going to be hard to believe, what with how much we enjoy chowing down on Big Dac Burger Pizzas, massive-calorie count set meals, and all-you-can-eat tarts. But the truth is that even at SoraNews24, there actually is a limit to how much we can stuff ourselves with in one sitting.

For example, we took a recent taste-test trip to Starbucks to try both their Sakura Saku Saku Frappuccino and Sakura Soy Latte, and then their prosciutto ham salad wrap caught our eye too, so we added one of those to our order. But as we sat there, happy and full, we realized something terrible.

We didn’t have any space left in our stomach for the new Sakura and Matcha Donut.

Obviously, we weren’t about to let sakura season pass us by without trying Starbucks Japan’s new sweet, so a return trip was in order, and this time we made sure to start with the 285-yen (US$2.20) Sakura and Matcha Doughnut.

Right away, you can see that this is a mix of Japan’s two most iconic and beloved representative dessert flavors: green tea and cherry blossom. Viewed from above, it’s primarily a sakura show, with the sakura chocolate glaze accented with a few stripes of matcha chocolate. The aesthetics instantly put a springtime smile on our face, but despite the breezy color scheme, the donut also has a tantalizing weighty look to it.

But even though sakura gets top billing in the donut’s name, there’s plenty of green tea goodness waiting inside. The dough has green tea powder mixed in, and at the core of the ring is a liquid center of smooth matcha cream. The cake itself is joyously fluffy, and the matcha’s gentle bitter notes work wonderfully with the salty sweetness of the sakura chocolate coating, which has a flavor reminiscent of traditional sakura mochi Japanese sweets.

The mix of flavors and textures was immensely satisfying, but we’re always looking for ways to make ourselves even happier through food and drink, so we asked the staff for their recommended drink pairing. Surprisingly, they steered us not towards the Saku Saku Frappuccino or Sakura Soy Latte, but to the Spring Latte (465 yen for a tall).

This is a cafe latte with a sprinkling of pink pearl sugar, which makes it look like you’ve got cherry blossom petals floating on the top of your drink. It’s a great choice if you’re craving a donut but want something less sweet than a full-on dessert beverage to sip while you munch.

The Sakura and Matcha Doughnut is pretty much everything you could ask for in a springtime Japanese donut, and it’ll be sticking around until March 14. And if you should find yourself with room for four more sakura donuts, we can help you with that craving too.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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