Matcha. It’s hard to find a Singaporean who dislikes this jade coloured tea. With its mildly sweet taste, notes of earthiness and just a shadow of a bitter finish, it leaves one wanting more.
There’s also the cousin of matcha – the glorious green tea, (usually made from sencha tea) that has a lighter and sweeter profile, without any notes of bitterness.
We’ve seen matcha and green tea in many desserts before, like parfaits, cakes and ice creams, but as of 2017 it is featured in an assortment of desserts.
We explore the new matcha waves from local foods like the humble Tang Yuan to some new creations like the matcha avalanche…all of which you are sure to fall in love with.
1) Matcha Fondue – Matchaya
Image: Burpple
You’ll be embarking on a journey with this special matcha fondue that comes with many side dishes, meant to be eaten in a clockwise direction, starting with the creamy and light matcha soft serve that gives you taste of what is to come.
Next, you dip traditional Japanese snacks like mochi and shiratama (glutinous rice balls) into the deep green fondue that promises to coat each ingredient with a thick layer of matcha cream that has the consistency of thick, melted chocolate.
Then, you can sink wafers and matcha brownies in this pot of green gold before finishing with crusty hunks of bread that are soft on the inside and crispy outside.
Finally, you can ask the staff for a cup of hot milk so that you can pour it into a fondue pot and make your own matcha latte — a perfect way to end the meal.
$16.90, from Matchaya (various locations)
2) Green Tea Tang Yuan – 75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup
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You may have tried shiratama (Japanese glutinous rice balls), and enjoyed them for their chewy texture and clean taste, but they don’t hold a candle to our local Singaporean dessert — Tang Yuan.
The Green Tea Tang Yuan at 75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup rest in hot and fragrant peanut/almond/ginger/longan soup that keeps the cores of these gems molten.
Each bite will send a hot burst of rich green tea paste, followed by a wave of sweet soup that washes it all down.
You get a lot of value for your money’s worth too, as each ball costs only $0.50.
$2 for 4 balls, from 75 Ah Balling Tang Yuan, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road, #01-75, Singapore 199583
READ ALSO: 6 New dessert spots in Singapore for a serious sugar rush
3) Matcha Kakigori – Matchaya
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Meet the Japanese equivalent of shaved ice, the kakigori. The Matcha Kakigori at Matchaya is well worth your money, having been painstakingly made with filtered Japanese water that is imbued with matcha goodness.
Be sure to order it in advance as it takes 10-20 minutes to prepare. The kakigori is also served with an especially large helping of cream espuma that is lightly drizzled with matcha sauce.
Each spoonful brims with fresh sweetness and botanical notes of matcha that comes together in an interplay of velvety textures (from the espuma) and refreshing coolness (from the shaved ice).
$18.90, from Matchaya (various locations)
4) Matcha Tiramisu – Kyushu Pancake
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Kyushu Pancake’s rendition of the tiramisu is a unique one, as it uses fluffy and warm pancakes instead of the usual sponge cake you may be accustomed to.
This stack is topped with a hearty dollop of brown sugar mascarpone cheese that is dusted with a copious amount of matcha powder.
A glass of matcha sauce is served alongside the pancake so you can drench them in the concoction. And of course, a scoop of vanilla ice cream to refresh your palate if the taste of matcha becomes overwhelming.
$16, from Kyushu Pancake in Novena Regency, 275 Thomson Road, #01-08, Singapore 307645
READ ALSO: 5 Best pancake mixes in Singapore
5) Matcha Freakcake – Montana Singapore
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You might have heard of freak shakes, or cakes shakes as they are known in some places. These overly excessive milkshakes that come in giant glass mugs that are sometimes rimmed with chocolate sauce before being coated in candy, then stacked with various treats like cotton candy, pretzels, or a whole slice of cake.
Similarly, freak cakes are laden with tonnes of goodies. The Matcha Black Sesame Freak Cake from Montana is laden with green tea Kit Kats, Pocky, mini Oreos, and a thoroughly toasted marshmallow.
The cake is made of moist layers of matcha cake that are spread with velvety black sesame buttercream before being stacked and covered in matcha frosting and a black sesame glaze.
This cake is sinful and filling so you’d find it difficult to finish it alone. Be sure to bring your girlfriends (or a hungry boyfriend) to help you out.
$14.80, from Montana Singapore, 1 Selegie Rd, #02-25, 188306
6) Green Tea Almond Croissant – Tiong Bahru Bakery
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When it comes to artisanal bakeries in Singapore, Tiong Bahru Bakery is a well-known household name.
The classic croissant is well loved for its flaky and buttery pastry that pulls apart easily and almost melts in your mouth.
The Green Tea Almond Croissant from said place, takes the croissant we know and love to a whole new level. The usually flaky and buttery pastry, which we often have to supplement with jam or butter, is filled with a light green tea paste that makes the croissant a lot moister.
As if that wasn’t enough, you can also enjoy sinking your teeth into a smooth and creamy glaze that has been poured on the croissant, before being set with almond flakes which add crunch to this luscious pastry.
$4, from Tiong Bahru Bakery (various locations)
READ ALSO: 10 Hojicha desserts in Singapore to try now
7) Matcha Avalanche – Non Entrée Dessert Cafe
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The Matcha Avalanche from Non-Entree Desserts has been around for awhile now, but it’s still a relatively new concept to the food scene.
A moist and hot matcha lava cake perches on a thin almond nougatine, both of which sit on a spherical glass bowl that holds a glistening scoop roasted green tea ice cream scoop; which sits on a bed of chocolate and azuki bean ‘soil’.
You enjoy this decadent dessert by cutting into the lava cake and letting the hot matcha ooze over the ice cream and mix with the chocolate and red bean before digging in. Mmm.
$13.90 from Non-Entree Desserts, 204 Rangoon Rd, Hong Building, Singapore 218451