Sweet tea for your sweetie
One of Japan's most venerable tea suppliers is also one of its most innovative. Fukujuen has been in business since 1790, but it sure isn't showing its age. First it teamed up with Suntory to launch Iyemon tea in PET bottles. Then, last year, it established an eye-popping nine-story flagship store on Kyoto's main shopping thoroughfare. Now, for Valentine's Day, Fukujuen has blended its famous tea, some of which sells for as much as ¥16,800 per 100 grams, into limited edition chocolates. There's a macha chocolate set, which includes green-tea truffles in a white or green-tea chocolate shell, as well as very delicately tea-scented milk chocolate with crisps of brown rice — call it super-premium Crunky. But if you really want to dazzle your dearest next week, get the Ujicha choc box; inside is green-tea syrup in green-tea chocolate shells topped with gold flakes and delicate sencha cream chocolate in the image of a tea flower. The sets are available in department stores nationwide as well as the Kyoto flagship store.
Macha chocolate box: ¥1,365 (8 pieces); Ujicha chocolate assortment: ¥3,150 (8 pieces); Fukujuen's Kyoto store: Shijo Tominokoji, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto; (075) 221-2920; www.fukujuen-kyotohonten.com