In Japan, our classic shortcake always comes with strawberries.For many of us, strawberry shortcake is the Christmas cake.I actually didn’t know until adulthood that in France, people enjoy Bûche de Noël instead… Today, I visited a charming new pastry shop near my home and paired their strawberry shortcake with a bowl of rich Uji matcha.Surprisingly, matcha pairs beautifully with Western sweets.I especially love enjoying it with canelés or chocolate.In  this video, I whisk ma

How a Simple Lesson in Whisking Became a Memorable Cultural Experience At Kyoto Matcha Experience , we often say that every guest brings their own story — and this one touched our hearts. A few weeks ago, a wonderful group of six travelers from Georgia  visited us. They first stopped by to ask if they could have some matcha tea. I explained that our place isn’t a café, but a hands-on matcha-making experience , much like a small cultural class where you learn to whisk and enjo