National Geographic Traveller (UK) - Food
THE ULTIMATE TEA CAKE
A successful marriage of French technique and Japanese flavours, the matcha mille crepe cake is delicate, balanced masterpiece. Words: Manami Narita
Making our Mille Crêpes cakes is a time-consuming process. We mix our own matcha powder and we whip our own cream and each cake is hand-assembled. Every cake has multiple steps and they each require special techniques from our experienced team of bakers. We source the highest-quality ingredients to use in our cakes, including our ceremonial-grade matcha from Japan. This fragrant matcha offers the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness. We delicately dust it on top of our Green Tea Mille Crêpes for an incredible burst of flavour in each bite.
Matcha can be tricky to work. This is because it must remain extremely fresh to retain its bright flavour and vibrant colour. The powder is very delicate, which means the smell, taste, and colour can all fade very quickly.
But I think what makes matcha desserts so special is that everyone from adults to children can enjoy them. Matcha has such a unique flavour, but it’s loved by so many people, which is what makes it so exciting to use.
With French desserts being enjoyed at the end of the meal, they tend to be more robust in flavour. Japanese sweets, on the other hand, are usually enjoyed as snacks throughout the day, so most desserts are light and not too sweet. But while the two cultures have different approaches, the quality of ingredients is very important to both. For example, milk, flour and fruit are all usually extremely high quality for both French and Japanese desserts. It’s what makes French and Japanese pastry techniques go together in perfect harmony. Right now, I’m really enjoying making our Butter Pecan
Mille Crêpes cake. It’s a new cake that we’re launching in October for the holiday season. This is exciting to me because pecan nuts aren’t very common in Japan, and because of that, I wasn’t introduced to them until after I came to the US. I tasted butter pecan ice cream for the first time in New York and I absolutely loved it!
Manami Narita is pastry chef at Lady M, a luxury confections brand with more than 50 boutiques worldwide.