Tea Ceremony Brand Saron Launches Customizable Matcha Shaved Ice for a Limited Time

16.May.2022 | FOOD / SPOT

Nara-based tea ceremony brand Saron is serving up a tasty treat perfect for the warm weather! White shaved ice with dark matcha topping is now available until mid-September, and guests are invited to adjust the taste by altering the amount of tea added.

 

Lately, Nara has been experiencing a major shaved ice boom. Inspired by Himuro Shrine, known for housing a guardian deity of ice, the city introduces plenty of created recipes for the summer treats each year. The tea ceremony brand Saron was founded by Nakagawa Masashichi Shouten, in business since the Edo period–so it’s safe to say that the company knows what they’re talking about!

Guests can enjoy shaved ice made from pure Yamato ice, which is frozen for 72 hours, gently shaved, and topped with Nara’s Kasiya sweet bean paste, shiratama, agar, and condensed milk that has been boiled for four hours. 

 

To finish off this luxurious dish, guests can add koicha, a thick matcha tea with concentrated flavor and incredible sweetness and depth. Polished twice as much as typical matcha, this is a taste you’ll never forget.

Why not come enjoy this traditional Japanese sweet this summer?

RELATED ENTRIES

  • Doraemon’s Official Store Launches Limited Edition Dorayaki-Flavored Black Tea

    15.November.2022 | ANIME&GAME / FOOD / SPOT

    Doraemon’s Mirai Department Store, Doraemon’s official shop, has announced a limited edition black tea flavored with the character’s favorite food: dorayaki! The tea and four special themed plates will be available starting November 11, 2022. The tea itself is provided by the tea specialty shop LUPICIA.   

    Doraemon’s Mirai Department Store Black Tea (Dorayaki Flavor)

    Doraemon’s Mirai Department Store is now offering this special tea in an adorable themed tin.   The flavor of the tea is inspired by Doraemon’s favorite food, dorayaki, a sweet Japanese pastry filled with red bean paste. The gorgeous blue and red toppings blended into the tea leaves were inspired by Doraemon himself, and fans will want to enjoy a cup as they lose themselves in the classic manga or anime series.  

    Doraemon's Mirai Department Store Tasty Plate (4 varieties)

    These 14cm square plates are perfect for snacks with tea. Dishwasher-safe, fans can pick from four designs, each showing Doraemon enjoying some tasty treats.    ©Fujiko-Pro
  • Snoopy Tea Brand SNOOTEA Launches Chocola Tea for the Holidays

    15.November.2022 | FASHION / FOOD

    Since its start in 2007, the Snoopy tea brand SNOOTEA has remained popular with Peanuts fans and tea fans alike. Typically, the brand has sold black tea in cute tins featuring Snoopy and his friends.   Starting November 7, fans can purchase a special Chocola tea made by tea blender Shuntarou Kumazaki. Blended to suit Japanese water and inspired by the world of Peanuts, it promises to be the perfect flavor for the holidays.   Made with cacao nibs, the flavor of standard black tea is punctuated with a chocolate aroma. The tea leaves themselves come from India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya, and are blended together in a balanced way to create an appealing taste that will have tea lovers coming back again and again. This blend is also perfect for making milk tea, and fans can even add whipped cream and marshmallows. This tea also goes well with strawberries, oranges, bananas, and other fruits, as well as nuts!   Snoopy and his friends dressed in winter attire will appear on each tin, adding to the festive holiday spirit. On the online store, customers can also find Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Apple Tea, and other varieties.   © 2022 Peanuts Worldwide LLC
  • Japanese Painter Uemura Shoen and Others to be Featured at Shohaku Art Museum in Nara

    01.September.2022 | FASHION / SPOT

    Shohaku Art Museum in Nara will be exhibiting works by Uemura Shoen, Shoko, and Atsushi from September 6 until November 27. This will include sketches and rare works by these classical Japanese artists, many of which will be shown for the first time in two years.  

    Hanagatami. Uemura Shoen, 1915

    Hanagatami (Rough Sketch) Uemura Shoen, 1915

    Yang Guifei. Uemura Shoen, 1922

    Tsudumi no Oto. Uemura Shoen, 1940

    Flowers and Birds of the Four Seasons. Atsushi Uemura, 2010. 

     The museum has a large number of valuable materials in its collection, including drafts, miniatures, and drawings by Shoen and Shoko. Even the drafts by Shoen are meticulously crafted, down to each and every crease in the kimonos. By viewing the original sketches with the final paintings, guests can feel the emotion that went into them. The exhibition also provides a glimpse of how Shoko and Atsushi deepened their understanding of their subjects through sketching. Fans of Japanese artwork shouldn't miss this valuable exhibition!
  • Laid-Back Camp Tea Now Available in Limited Quantities

    08.July.2022 | ANIME&GAME / FOOD

    Kimikura, a specialty tea shop in Shizuoka Prefecture, is collaborating with Laid-Back Camp Season 2! Fans will be able to purchase Kimikura’s popular green tea in limited edition packaging showing Rin Shima enjoying a piping hot cup. This limited edition item will be available at the Kimikura online store and Kimikura’s physical shops starting July 8, 2022.    The high-quality Kakegawa tea is made from leaves picked after 88 nights and has a lovely mellow fragrance and a full-bodied flavor. This is the third collaboration with Laid-Back Camp, and fans of the series or Rin won’t want to miss it.   Why not rewatch Laid-Back Camp with a nice cup of this tasty tea?
  • Summer-Exclusive Shaved Ice Available at Tokyo Tower Adjacent Terrace Dining TANGO

    25.June.2022 | FOOD / SPOT

    Terrace Dining TANGO, located at the base of Tokyo Tower, will begin selling three unique flavors of shaved ice for summer starting on July 1! These tasty treats will only be available until August 31, so be sure to visit while you can.     WA! BearTANGO’s original shaved ice is popular every summer, and in 2022, customers can grab a bear-shaped treat made with brown sugar syrup and condensed milk.   Strawberry Milk ~Rose Scented~Made with fluffy ice and homemade strawberry sauce, this delectable treat is topped with condensed milk and smells like sweet roses. Inside, customers will find rose gelato and strawberry compote.   Taiwanese Pineapple and CoconutThis fluffy shaved ice is topped with coconut milk, Taiwanese pineapple, and a generous dollop of sweet sauce. The ginger adds a spicy accent, keeping it interesting until the final bite.   Terrace Dining TANGO is attached to The Place of Toyo, a wedding hall overlooking Tokyo Tower. The shaved ice, available only during the summer, is made of natural ice that has been filtered and frozen slowly for 48 hours to create a fluffier texture. Each is served with a special sauce made by the restaurant's pâtissier.   Come enjoy these sweets that make summer a little more fun!
  • Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Collaborates with Nara’s Kakinohasushi Hompo Tanaka for LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project

    09.June.2022 | FOOD / MUSIC / SPOT

    In April, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu made a big splash around the world when she performed at Coachella, one of the largest music festivals in the United States.    The second half of the singer’s 10th anniversary nationwide tour 31-show has begun, gaining even more momentum following the announcement of a solo concert at Nippon Budokan in October. In conjunction with the nationwide tour, the LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project was launched to energize Japan through the appeal of regional towns and cities. As with past concert locations, a new collaboration has been announced following Kyary’s June 5 performance in Nara. During the late Meiji period, persimmon leaf-wrapped sushi became a local delicacy during the summer months in Nara after the delicacies began popping up at a shopping district near JR Gojo Station. In 1973, Kakinohasushi Hompo Tanaka officially opened its doors, selling this delicacy for dine-in or carry-out. Kyary has collaborated with this famous local treat, transforming the shop’s logo into a new version inspired by the singer’s 2014 song Kira Kira Killer. The jacket art originally featured Kyary with a collection of bizarre hairstyles, but these have been turned into persimmon leaves for the collab.During the collaboration period, fans were able to buy specially-branded packages of Kirakira Persimmon Leaf-wrapped Sushi. While the leaves themselves aren’t edible, they act to preserve the sushi for days without refrigeration. This version contains mackerel and vinegar-soaked rice. The sushi was sold in limited quantities at Nara Centennial Hall, the venue of Kyary’s June 5 concert.A collaborative T-shirt is also on sale featuring the new logo and the singer’s 10th-anniversary logo. The shirt is available on the LOCAL POWER JAPAN Project website for two weeks only starting June 3. Support Japanese businesses and pick one up while you can!