My friend often bought me Cha no Ka (茶の菓) when she visited Kyoto, and I was always happy when she brought it to me. I had been thinking about getting it for myself the next time I visited Kyoto, and finally, I did!
Cha no Ka features a white chocolate layer sandwiched between crisp cookies made with green tea, produced by Malebranche Kyoto Kitayama (マールブランシュ京都北山). However, since I had already bought a lot of curry senbei, I only bought a small bag with 5 pieces of Cha no Ka. It cost me 680 yen (tax included).
I know there are many sweets made with matcha and green tea, but white chocolate is not a common ingredient in these treats, I think. I love white chocolate, so I was excited to try it.
Malebranche states that this confectionery uses a special matcha called “KOICHA (濃茶),” which means rich tea. Koicha is produced exclusively for Cha no Ka in Uji Shirakawa, Kyoto.
The cookies have no bitterness and are very flavorful. They pair well with the sweet white chocolate. Coffee goes great with them, too.
The expiration date is two weeks from purchase, so they don’t last long. The producer recommends keeping them at temperatures below 28°C, and they also suggest consuming them within a day after opening the package.
To my great regret, there’s no branch in the Kanto (including Tokyo), Tohoku, or Hokkaido areas. They only hold special events occasionally. This makes it hard to find except in the Kansai area. I believe this exclusivity is one reason why Cha no Ka maintains such a high reputation.
In Kyoto, you can find Cha no Ka at many locations, such as Kyoto Isetan, Kyoto Tower, and inside JR Kyoto Station. So even if you forget to buy it, you can pick it up before leaving Kyoto.
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