Matcha sighting....!

[Drax]

I've been reading a great manga series called "Yotsubato," which I highly recommend. If you read Japanese, it's a great intermediate book because it's not overly complicated. But for me, the best part is that it's basically about every day life in Japan, and all seen through the eyes of a little girl. I laugh a lot when reading this book -- might even be worth just checking out the English version in a bookstore, too.

Anyway... long intro there. I was reading a "chapter" wherein Yotsuba and her father go to a cultural festival to get some "cake." It turns out to be ordinary pound cake, but they offer three choices:

プレーン (plain)
まっ茶 (matcha!!)
チョコレート (chocolate)

Okay, I got overly excited

I just wanted to share, and see if anybody has other 'real world' matcha sightings.

[chingwa]

Was it the かすてら style cake?

[Salsero]

I hope you will tell us about other cool details as you read.

[ErikaM]

I bought a matcha cake roll just last week at an international grocery in town. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was really very good.

[Pentox]

Yotsuba&! yes! Fantastic series!

And as far as matcha sightings out in the other parts of the world, everytime I think anime and matcha I think of the chanoyu battle from Ranma 1/2.

[Drax]

Yotsuba&! yes! Fantastic series!

And as far as matcha sightings out in the other parts of the world, everytime I think anime and matcha I think of the chanoyu battle from Ranma 1/2.

Ooh, I never read Ranma 1/2... but... there's a battle involving matcha? (:

I wonder if a Japanese version of Alice in Wonderland would have a Matcha baby instead of a pepper baby?

It turns out in Yotsuba, the cake was just regular pound cake. One of the neighbor's classes had created a French Cafe (called French People), selling cake. Apparently Yotsuba had been hearing about the cake, and imagined it as a 10-foot tall cream covered tower covered with toys and strawberries. So when the couple slices of ordinary pound cake come out, she's quite disappointed. Hilarity ensues.

[chamekke]

Yotsuba&! yes! Fantastic series!

And as far as matcha sightings out in the other parts of the world, everytime I think anime and matcha I think of the chanoyu battle from Ranma 1/2.

Ooh, I never read Ranma 1/2... but... there's a battle involving matcha? (:

Is there ever!

The manga version is more fun (I think), but you can see a dubbed anime version here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYXayUCO89U

There are 2 or 3 storylines to do with the Martial Arts Tea Ceremony school, IIRC.

[Drax]

Yotsuba&! yes! Fantastic series!

And as far as matcha sightings out in the other parts of the world, everytime I think anime and matcha I think of the chanoyu battle from Ranma 1/2.

Ooh, I never read Ranma 1/2... but... there's a battle involving matcha? (:

Is there ever!

The manga version is more fun (I think), but you can see a dubbed anime version here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYXayUCO89U

There are 2 or 3 storylines to do with the Martial Arts Tea Ceremony school, IIRC.

Wow, that's something all right! Using the chashakus as shuriken. Using matcha powder as a smoke screen (or a tea grenade).

Takes it to a whole new level....

[Pentox]

Wait, you're not doing that already?

Hahaha, I so want to make a hand grenade natsume now....