The matcha parfait is being taken to dizzying heights over here in Japan, with tea houses battling it out to create the most elaborately layered, tallest, and most aesthetically pleasing green tea desserts possible.

Green tea is a flexible flavour, suitable for any season and it lends itself to many limited time only desserts. Kyoto's legendary tea brand Itohkyuemon, are one of the many matcha purveyors to rise to the occasion.

This special menu item is a tribute to the vibrant blue and purple hydrangea. Itohkyuemon's main premises are located in Uji, Kyoto, a town known as a green tea paradise. Hydrangeas bloom at a nearby temple and their beauty is what inspired this rainy season treat.

The hydrangea parfait, which is only available in Itohkyuemon's main Uji store and their Uji station branch, will set you back 1280 yen. It's decorated with purple and blue coloured sweet potato and accented with green leaf cookies. The next layer is a sparkling jelly, which glistens like dew after a rainy season night.

The parfait has plenty of Uji matcha included for a rich green tea taste, with matcha ice cream and syrup making up the bottom layers with some agar.

If you couldn’t possibly devour a whole $12 parfait, there’s adorable Hydrangea inspired panncotta on the menu too, which are also available as take out at the main Uji store.

The previously seen matcha-filled sweet potato hydrangeas are also up for grabs sans parfait, not just in the teahouse itself, but also as souvenir sweets in Itohkyuemon's shops located in Uji and Kyoto train stations.

All of these floral inspired desserts are available until the end of June. Take a look at Itohkyuemon's website for more information.

If you're not lucky enough to be Kyoto for this timely treat, check out the best matcha desserts to be had in Tokyo!


By - grape Japan editorial staff.