Uji Matcha Tirol 宇治抹茶 チロル

Matcha (Green Tea) is a popular flavour for chocolate and snacks in Japan, so it stands to reason that Tirol would release that flavour over many different incarnations. In the past I've reviewed Matcha with Mochi , Matcha Milk, and Matcha Soy Latte, but I'm sure there has been many more.

This Matcha Tirol is a premium version which means it's slightly bigger than a regular Tirol chocolate and it costs slightly more. The flavour is Uji Matcha, Uji is an area in Kyoto which is popular for the green tea powder.

The design on the wrapper is striking, with a forrest green background, cherry blossom in one corner and a bright orange sunset with a cup of green tea in the foreground. There is also a temple far off on the horizon. The chocolate is dark green in colour and smells like the green tea powder from a Japanese Tea Ceremony.

There is mochi inside this chocolate that is soft and jelly-like. The chocolate around the mochi is strong and bitter, with a hint of sweetness. The matcha flavour is much more intense in this than previous versions. This is less sweet than a normal Tirol, the bitterness of the tea plays a much bigger role. While I don't normally drink the tea because I don't like bitter flavours, I really enjoyed this because it wasn't really sweet like Tirol chocolate tends to be. I felt that this was a very "adult" flavour, and very classy.

The danger is, I could eat a lot of these in one go because it's not too sweet! :) 

Have you tried this? If so, what did you think?

Bourbon Mini Bit Uji Matcha ブルボン ミニビット 宇治抹茶

I'm a pretty big matcha fan, except when it comes to drinking the tea. Strange, but as a drink it's too bitter for me. I do like it combined with chocolate though. So,when I saw this bag of matcha Mini Bit in a parcel from a friend I was overjoyed!

A lot of the matcha used in chocolates in Japan is "Uji Matcha". Uji is district in the outskirts of Kyoto, famous for green tea and also because the final chapters of the famous novel "The Tale of Genji" were set there.

The bag looks like it holds quite a few chocolates but there are only 6 inside. Each chocolate is individually wrapped and is about an inch in diameter. The chocolate is dark in colour and has a "B" embossed on the top of diagonal lines. I guess the "B" is for "Bourbon", the company who make Mini Bit.

I could smell the matcha wafting out of the chocolate, in fact, the whole bag smelled divine when I stuck my nose in there. Biting into it was quite hard as the inside is jam-packed with matcha. I don't quite know how to describe it but it's like green tea powder moistened and filled inside the chocolate. It's not powdery, it's not gooey or crunchy, it's just nice and firm and flavourful. There is a huge hit of matcha that is oh so satisfying. It doesn't overpower the chocolate at all either, as that is quite rich and is just dark enough to complement the bitterness of the matcha.

This is a match(a) made in heaven!! If these were available in family size I would so get one...but its kind of good that I only have 6...well now 5, because then I can't eat them all at once. Portion control you see.... ;) If you like matcha, then I'm pretty sure you'll like these. But don't take my word for it, try them yourself!