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Monday, January 06, 2014

Gyokusuien (玉翠園)| Japanese Tea Specialty Store | Sapporo

Do you like Maccha or Green tea ice cream? If so, let's go to "Gyokusuien(玉翠園)", a Japanese tea specialty store!! Their ice cream is also really recommendable!!!

They started their business in 1933 in Sapporo.

 It looks like a normal, typical Japanese tea store.

They have a variety of tea & tea utensils, and

you can drink freshly-made green tea in the shop.

But actually it is NOT a normal tea shop. Look at the special menu↓ They also serve green tea latte (hot green tea poured over cold ice cream), green tea sandae, ochazuke (rice with green tea) and so on. They have special seasonal items, too.

We ordered "yukimoe(雪萌え)" parfait (right)!! We were so excited before eating it :-) Hahaha!!

The top ice cream is made of milk produced in Tokachi, Hokkaido. It is not so sweet that you can fully enjoy its milk taste! Furthermore, they don't use any additives and you can appreciate the natural flavor only!!! Green tea is also used to the waffle! Perfect!!!

Like this pic↓, under the milk ice cream, there are layers of rich green tea ice cream, roasted brown rice and adzuki bean jam. They use their high-end green tea for the ice cream, and for jam they choose the best beans produced in Tokachi, Hokkaido, which is one of the best bean production sites in Japan. Wonderful!!! Yummy x 2!!!

Do you want to eat the delicious green tea ice cream????

The owner said, "We always use the best ingredients in the season to make this parfait!"
When you come here in January, mandarin orange sauce is added to the top↓
Why January only???
Tea farmers usually make orange, too. They send their delicious oranges as year-end gifts (お歳暮) to the shop owner. He cannot eat them up, and makes orange sauce from them. He doesn't add any sugar to it, just boiling oranges down... Sounds perfect, doesn't it?

This is a spring version with sakura or cherry blossom ice cream made of fresh milk and cherry petals, picked in the shop's garden.↓ Perfect!!

In May, they serve special ice cream made of newly-harvested green tea leaves. I have to go again!

■Where is "Gyokusuien(玉翠園)"

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■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?
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