As promised, this is Matcha Gouter de Roi chocolate-coated rusk, another seasonal offering by Gateau Festa Harada, available only from the months of October to late-May each year. It is also region-limited and only available at their stores in the Kansai region (where Kyoto and Osaka are located), so it may be especially tricky to get your hands on. But if you are in Kansai for sakura viewing, you'll be able to scoop this and the Triple Berry Gouter de Roi up together.
Like the triple berry version, not only was the chocolate coating flavoured with matcha, but I think so was the bread used to make the rusk. As you can see, it is not white, but yellowish green in shade. On top of that, there is a secret nuanced ingredient that I discovered on the ingredients list (further below) - yuzu peel! Finally, there is also gold foil powder sprinkled on top for effect, very fitting for a traditional flavour representing gravitas.
In terms of taste, the matcha flavour was on the slightly bitter and herby spectrum, as opposed to the grassy and umami notes of ceremonial matcha. I did not notice the yuzu peel taste separately, but perhaps it contributed towards shifting the taste towards that direction. But I thought it was good due to the creamy and sweet chocolate filling up the rest of the flavour. Without the slight bitterness and herby pop, it might have tasted a bit more like candy or ice cream, which might diminish the traditional and authentic gourmet feel of something that is region-limited to Kyoto and Osaka.
As with the berry version, I couldn't really taste the matcha flavour in the rusk itself (which includes butter and salt based on the ingredients list below), because the matcha chocolate drowned out the rusk taste. So the rusk seems to be there mostly for texture. (Click the photo to enlarge.)
Ingredients list above is for reference - there is yuzu peel and gold foil listed!
- Ruskology 101 - Original Butter Rusk and Hors d'oeuvre Rusk Sommelier by Gateau Festa Harada
- Ruskology 102 - Butter and Matcha Castella Rusks by Minamoto Kitchoan
- Ruskology 103 - Castella II - Matcha, Original and Brown Sugar Castella Rusks by Quolofune
- Ruskology 201 - Soft Bread Rusks by Tobira
- Ruskology 202 - Gouter de Roi Chocolate-coated Rusk by Gateau Festa Harada
- Ruskology 203 - Blond Chocolate Coating - Gouter de Roi Soleil by Gateau Festa Harada
- Ruskology 204 - Matcha Bread Rusk
- Ruskology 301 - DIY Pandoro or Panettone Rusk
- Ruskology 303: Fancy Flavours - Triple Berry Chocolate Gouter de Roi Rusk by Gateau Festa Harada
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