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Japan Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Uji matcha tea specialist from Edo period releases a range of sweets for hydrangea season
By Oona McGee, SoraNews24 Ever since matcha began to boom in popularity around the globe, green tea lovers from overseas have had Uji in Kyoto on their bucket list. This region is renowned for its top-quality matcha, and one of the oldest tea purveyors in the area is Itohkyuemon, which can trace its history back to 1832, towards the end of the Edo period (1603-1868) when samurai roamed the land. In the centuries since its founding, Itohkyuemon has been constantly adapting to meet the changing demands of customers, and these days it's become particularly well known for its matcha ice creams and seasonal parfaits. Its most popular seasonal offering is the Hydrangea Parfait, created in honour of Uji's famous Mimurotoji, commonly known as 'Hydrangea Temple' due to its abundance of flowers. ▼ Hydrangeas, or ajisai as they're known in Japanese, bloom during the rainy season. Image: Pakutaso This year, to mark the 13th anniversary of the Hydrangea Parfait, Itohkyuemon is going all out with a campaign called the 'Uji Matcha × Hydrangea Festival 2025'. The highlight of the festival is the Hydrangea Parfait (1,390 yen) which features ingredients like matcha kinton (a sweet bean confection), hydrangea-hued crushed jelly, leaf-shaped matcha cookies and blueberries — all inspired by hydrangeas glistening with raindrops. ▼ Joining the parfait is a limited-time Hydrangea flavor (740 yen) in the popular 'Matcha Parfait Ice Cream Bar' series. There'll also be a 'Hydrangea Mini Parfait', which can be upgraded from the regular mini matcha parfait for an additional 200 yen when ordered with a meal… ▼ …and a Hydrangea Panna Cotta (590 yen) and Hydrangea Kinton (two for 990 yen). All items can be purchased at the Uji Main Store and the JR Uji Ekimae Store, except for the Panna Cotta, which is only available at the Main Store. The Mini Parfait and the Hydrangea Parfait will also be available at the Gion Shijo Store, while the Parfait Ice Cream Bar will have a wider release, available at the Gion Shijo location, as well as the branches at Kiyomizuzaka, Sanjo Teramachi, Byodoin, JR Uji Ekimae, and Kyoto Ekimae. The parfaits and ice cream bars and Kinton are currently on sale, while the Panna Cotta will be available from June 1. That's a whole lot of matcha hydrangea sweets to choose from, but they'll only be available in limited numbers while stocks last, so you'll want to stop by the festival soon to avoid missing out. Related: Itohkyuemon store locations Source, images: Press release (unless otherwise stated) Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Japanese cafe's gorgeous hydrangea sweets celebrate most beautiful flower of Japan's rainy season -- Japanese Kyoto matcha sweets look gorgeous on Instagram, feel gorgeous on the tongue【Taste Test】 -- Gorgeous matcha ajisai parfait ice cream bars appear just in time for hydrangea season External Link © SoraNews24
SoraNews24
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Uji matcha tea specialist from the Edo period releases a range of sweets for hydrangea season
Itohkyuemon leads the way when it comes to matcha ice creams and parfaits. Ever since matcha began to boom in popularity around the globe, green tea lovers from overseas have had Uji in Kyoto on their bucket list. This region is renowned for its top-quality matcha, and one of the oldest tea purveyors in the area is Itohkyuemon, which can trace its history back to 1832, towards the end of the Edo period (1603-1868) when samurai roamed the land. In the centuries since its founding, Itohkyuemon has been constantly adapting to meet the changing demands of customers, and these days it's become particularly well known for its matcha ice creams and seasonal parfaits. Its most popular seasonal offering is the Hydrangea Parfait, created in honour of Uji's famous Mimurotoji, commonly known as 'Hydrangea Temple' due to its abundance of flowers. ▼ Hydrangeas, or 'ajisai' as they're known in Japanese, bloom during the rainy season. Image: Pakutaso This year, to mark the 13th anniversary of the Hydrangea Parfait, Itohkyuemon is going all out with a campaign called the 'Uji Matcha × Hydrangea Festival 2025'. The highlight of the festival is the Hydrangea Parfait (1,390 yen [US$9.69]) which features ingredients like matcha kinton (a sweet bean confection), hydrangea-hued crushed jelly, leaf-shaped matcha cookies and blueberries — all inspired by hydrangeas glistening with raindrops. ▼ Joining the parfait is a limited-time Hydrangea flavour (740 yen) in the popular 'Matcha Parfait Ice Cream Bar' series. There'll also be a 'Hydrangea Mini Parfait', which can be upgraded from the regular mini matcha parfait for an additional 200 yen when ordered with a meal… ▼ …and a Hydrangea Panna Cotta (590 yen) and Hydrangea Kinton (two for 990 yen). All items can be purchased at the Uji Main Store and the JR Uji Ekimae Store, except for the Panna Cotta, which is only available at the Main Store. The Mini Parfait and the Hydrangea Parfait will also be available at the Gion Shijo Store, while the Parfait Ice Cream Bar will have a wider release, available at the Gion Shijo location, as well as the branches at Kiyomizuzaka, Sanjo Teramachi, Byodoin, JR Uji Ekimae, and Kyoto Ekimae. The parfaits and ice cream bars will be available from 23 May, while the Kinton will be available from 26 May and the Panna Cotta from 1 June. That's a whole lot of matcha hydrangea sweets to choose from, but they'll only be available in limited numbers while stocks last, so you'll want to stop by the festival soon to avoid missing out! Related: Itohkyuemon store locations Source, images: Press release (unless otherwise stated) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Time Out
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Gelato Messina Review: Australia's famous gelato chain lands in Singapore
Give a big cheer, Messina is here! Australia's cult-favourite gelato chain just unveiled its first-ever Singapore store at Chinatown, and we couldn't be more excited. Located at 1 Club Street, the shop occupies the ground-floor units of The Working Capitol, with a seating area that fits around 20 people. But let's get down to business – here's the scoop on all the flavours, prices, and all you need to know before visiting Singapore's very first Gelato Messina. The first thing to do is heave a sigh of relief – the brand brings its signature 40-flavour cabinet to our shores, so you won't be missing out on all-time-favourites like the Pistachio Praline, Hokey Pokey, Italian Nougat, or the Panna Cotta with fig jam and amaretti. We're told that everything is freshly churned daily and that all toppings and additions at Messina, down to its chocolate chunks and nut paste, are made with proprietary recipes. The folks here have gotten their Pistachio Praline formula down to a tee. Butter-smooth, rich and nutty, with homemade pistachio paste swirling through the gelato like molten gold, it's a faultless replica of the one we had at Messina's Bondi Beach outlet in Sydney. The only difference is that Singapore's relentless heat means your scoops are reduced to a sweet, sticky mess in no time, so be prepared for that. Apart from the 35 core flavours, many are curious about the five Singapore-exclusives that Messina is debuting at the store. These are: Singapore, How You Durian? – featuring coconut gelato with durian jam and cake; kaya toast – kaya gelato mixed in with dehydrated toast and kaya jam; teh tarik – a simple milk tea gelato; tau huey – lightly sweetened tofu gelato; and Yolk's On You – salted egg yolk gelato with gula melaka caramel. Among the above, our pick is the tau huey, thanks to its velvety texture, simple construction, and how identitical it tastes compared to the beloved local dessert. At the time of our visit, the ondeh ondeh flavour was also available, and these had generous chunks of chewy pandan mochi wedged into each scoop. A word of caution: the durian, kaya, and salted egg yolk are extremely indulgent – and rightfully so – but since they lean sweeter, we found ourselves gravitating towards the tried-and-tested classics. Not to worry though — Messina is known for encouraging over-the-counter tasting, so you're less likely to be pressured into making regretful decisions and having to stick with a flavour you dislike. Or, you can just come back the next day to try again. Happy problems. There are also weekly rotating flavours to look forward to, and the one we sampled was a Cinco de Mayo special, studded with crunchy churro bits. For our lactose-intolerant friends, thankfully, Messina does its dairy-free options well too. There are some eight sorbets to pick from, including refreshing flavours like dragonfruit, raspberry, lemon, passionfruit, mango, and others. But for something different, go for the chocolate sorbet, which is sorely underrated, according to one of the staff members we spoke to. Unlike regular ice cream shops in Singapore where regular and premium flavours are tagged to different prices, each scoop at Messina goes at a standard $7.50. It's not the cheapest in town, but considering the quality of ingredients (hear this: Messina has its very own dairy farm in Victoria supplying fresh Jersey milk to every joint), we say it's well worth the splurge. That said, you can also get more bang for your buck if you order two ($10) or three scoops ($12) – perfect for sharing. And for ardent fans of the chain, you'll also find shelves lined with merchandise like bucket hats, tote bags, and socks plastered with the brand's monogram, so go ham and get that Messina drip. Gelato Messina Singapore is located at 1 Club Street, Singapore 069400. Official opening hours have yet to be confirmed, but according to Google, the store is open from 2pm to 10pm from Tuesday to Thursday, and noon to 10pm from Friday to Sunday.
