When tea collides with convenience store desserts, it's usually matcha that hogs the spotlight. FamilyMart, though, is going a different route with its latest collaboration.
The chain has teamed up with tearoom brand Afternoon Tea for a series of snacks incorporating the flavor of Earl Grey tea. The snacks range from a simple pound cake and bite-size cookies to a cream-filled roll cake and a financier almond cake that aim to class-up the konbini (convenience store) dessert game. All of them go for ¥150 after tax, save for the financier, which comes in at ¥140.
The takeaway from this series of treats is that simple works best. Of the offerings, the best are the cookies and, surprisingly, the pound cake, which avoid any additional flavors or cream (I'm looking at you, roll cake!) in favor of highlighting the Earl Grey taste.
Don't expect this variety to topple matcha's dominance, but it provides a nice change of pace.