Ice cream is one of the tastiest treats you can eat in my opinion, and with summers as hot as this one, it is also one of the most refreshing. While there are a lot of delicious ice cream flavors out there (definitely no complaints about that!) there aren’t many Japanese ice creams available. (And this is a shame because Japan has all kinds of delicious ice cream!)
In fact, Japan has the widest array of ice cream flavors I have ever seen. Every time I go, there are new flavors to try, like: Salty Vanilla & Caramel, Strawberry Tiramisu, Honey Milk, White Peach and Chocolate Macadamia Nut (just for starters!). So why not try your hand at an easy recipe (just mix and freeze) and have a delicious Japanese ice cream experience right in your own home (and with no churning!).
Getting the Ingredients.
Most of the ingredients for Green Tea Ice Cream are readily available at your local grocer. However, if you want your ice cream to be more authentic, I recommend you order Japanese green tea and matcha online, or purchase them from an Asian food market. (Although you can technically use any green tea, these are better options.)
If you opt for the more authentic route, Hibiki-An has great green tea products, right out of the fields of Kyoto (and they have an English-language website and ship internationally). You can also order matcha (a green tea powder, which, by the way, is not the same as ground green tea leaves – it’s made from a special type of tea), from the Hibiki-An website.
Just a note: This ice cream will be creamier than the matcha ice cream you will find in Japan, which is not a bad thing in my opinion, and it is just as delicious and refreshing.
Green Tea Ice Cream
1 green tea bag (Twinings of London or Hibiki-An, preferably, and yes, I am a bit of a tea snob, I admit…but if the tea quality is not good, you will have to steep longer and the flavor could be impacted.)
1 3/4 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup condensed milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. green tea powder (matcha)
Preparation
Steep the green tea bag in 1 1/2 Tbsp. of boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Remove tea bag and let liquid cool.
Pour 2/3 cup of cream into a saucepan, then add the green tea brew and vanilla extract. Stir over low heat for about 3 minutes.
Remove liquid from heat and place in bowl; cool in refrigerator. Once liquid is thoroughly chilled, pour in the remaining ingredients.
Vigorously whisk mixture until it’s thick, but still liquid. Pour into a container and freeze overnight. Then scoop, serve and enjoy!
Sources: Haagen-Dazs Japan , Hibiki-An
Images: Top , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5