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Japan’s Mint Chocolate Boom is Cooling Down the Summer Heat
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The weather is heating up, and that’s when you most want to cool down. People all over the country are feeling the same way, which might explain the recent flavor trend—mint chocolate, known in Japan as choco mint (チョコミント). Step into a convenience store right now, and you’d probably find a row or two dedicated to the icy cool flavor. Sure it’s always been a popular ice cream flavor, but this time it’s evolving. It’s getting on everything, from chocolate to cookies to caramel corn. There’s no end to it! Every snack under the sun seems to be under the mint chocolate fever, and everyone’s catching it.
Quick fix at the convenience store
Seasonal flavors change every once in a while, and although mint chocolate has been slowly drumming up for a while they’re finally taking center stage at this time of the year. The classic mint green color is decorating the shelves in stores all around Japan, filling the atmosphere with a cool and refreshing mood to get you ready for the hot weather to come.
Where else can you get mint chocolate?
Cafes and confectioners have also caught on to the trend, and are giving their own creative twists on mint chocolate. You know a country is officially in love with a flavor when you start seeing it everywhere, even on your pizza.
Max Brenner Japan
Among Max Brenner’s new seasonal menu is the Fresh Mint Chocolate Pizza, an icy cool take of their signature dessert pizza. Loaded with the usual marshmallows and chocolate, the pizza is further topped with mint ice cream and appropriately garnished with mint leaves. It’s a classic combination with a luxurious upgrade.
Pablo Cheese Tart
PABLO never fails to get on the bandwagon of trends, and this season they’re right on time with their limited edition mint chocolate mini tarts. A bright blue dollop of mint-flavored whipped cream sits atop the baked chocolate tart, perfectly balancing the rich creamy textures with the cooling mint. With that lovely blue shade and doll-sized portion, it’s just the right little dessert to satisfy your cravings for both mint and chocolate.
Pluffy Cafe
If you’re looking for a bigger portion and even bigger satisfaction, give your usual breakfast a burst of refreshing mint. Pluffy Cafe in trendy Shimokitazawa is popular with the pancake lovers for their fluffy, visually appealing pancakes, and this mint chocolate rendition is no different. With a vibrant blue pile of mint chocolate cream and candy stars, this is one for Instagram.
Monitoring the mint chocolate boom on social media
With all these different products and menu items, how can you choose just one? The next challenge following is how to pick your sweet treat. Mint chocolate is a classic, but the flavor will certainly find variation in each unique snack and dessert. It’s becoming so prolific that even social media is getting serious about it. If you’re in need of a more informed choice before buying something mint chocolate-flavored, then the Internet is there for you. There are several blogs, websites and social media accounts solely dedicated to giving updates on the latest mint chocolate-flavored products and reviewing them with mouthwatering pictures.
@chocomint0625 is one of several Twitter accounts who fervently does taste-and-tweets about the latest mint chocolate sweets, with over 8,000 mint chocolate lovers following him.
There are even detailed charts like this one that let you find the perfect mint chocolate snack for you, mapping out exactly where each lies on the sweetness scale and other important deciding factors. These visual guides are handy if you’re experimenting with the flavor, and are also evidence of its popularity.
Don’t miss out on the biggest flavor of the season! It’s the best time to take advantage of this mint chocolate boom, when you’re spoiled for choice at every convenience store and café. Why stop at ice cream when you can have so much more in the world of mint chocolate?
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Sharuru
College student in Tokyo and lover of Ghibli and Hello! Project.
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