Mister Donut and Gion Tsujiri bring hojicha heaven to Japan with these latest additions

16 hours ago 3

Following rave reviews of the last installment of the dream collaboration of international donut chain Mister Donut and famous green tea specialists Gion Tsujiri, the second batch of this year’s springtime tea-filled delights have arrived and made their way to our office for another donut review. Time and time again, this collaboration proves to be sublime, so what temptations does Mister Donut have in store for us this time round?

The first set of donuts focused on matcha, but these two latest ones are all about hojicha (roasted green tea), and cost 270 yen to take-out, or 275 yen to eat-in.

● Uji Hojicha Hojicha Choco Azuki

The first one has a name that’s quite a mouthful. Uji Hojicha is a reasonable addition to the name of the product, being the name of the series and indicating that the hojicha it uses comes from the popular tea region of Uji in Kyoto. However, the latter half of the name feels as if the makers have just thought about what would be delicious together and threw it all together into the name itself. This simplistic yet clear naming resulted in the Hojicha Choco Azuki: a fusion of hojicha, chocolate and sweet red beans.

The appearance is striking, looking as if it’s covered in brown scales, or perhaps as if it’s a raw mineral deposit. The chocolate shavings appeared to be glued onto the donut through the use of red bean paste. While clearly being integral to the structure of the donut, the azuki paste still plays an essential role in the overall flavor.

Taking a bite, the first thing that hits you is the overwhelming deliciousness of the dough: the crisp dough crumbles easily in your mouth, making for an enjoyable eating experience. The bitter hint of the hojicha is outstandingly elegant. The dough by itself deserves to be a regular feature on their menu year-round.

Both the chocolate and azuki toppings deliver a sweetness to the package, but each in their own way. Adding the textural combination of the soft paste and the hard chocolate really serves to elevate the quality of the donut to a new level.

● Uji Hojicha-zukushi

With a name translating loosely to “as much hojicha as posible,” we were expecting this next donut to be overflowing with it, and were not disappointed. Both the dough and the cream on top are entirely hojicha-flavored. Just the harmonious pairing of dry and crispy dough with the thick, soft cream is enough to make hojicha enthusiasts drool, but add in a sprinkling of hojicha soybean flour and you’re hurled mouth-first into hojicha heaven.

That’s not everything this donut has to offer, though. Drizzling on the accompanying brown sugar syrup gives the donut a whole new layer of charm and the Japanese-ness of the flavor is accentuated even further.

However, the second round of donuts doesn’t end there. What we had failed to realize before rushing down to the store to pick up the latest donuts was that there was a third option to be found, which is only available through online ordering.

Image: PR Times

The Pon De Uji Matcha Deluxe Quintet (388 yen) is a donut designed to induce a matcha-overdose, with possibly the highest levels of matcha since the Mister Donut-Gion Tsujiri collaboration began. The matcha dough is coated with matcha-flavored chocolate, the two fillings are matcha whipped cream and matcha warabimochi (a jelly-like dessert with roasted soybean flour and brown sugar syrup), and finished off with a dusting of matcha powder. If the first collection of matcha donuts left you feeling wanting for more matcha, prepare to be conquered by this latest addition to the range. Just remember you need to order online a day in advance.

With limited-time availability until the end of May, these three donuts, along with the original set, are not to be missed by fans of Japanese flavors.

Related: Mister Donut