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Dessert by Deb’s Hojicha Chocolate Mint Truffles

Hojicha Chocolate Mint Truffles by Dessert by Deb
Green Tea / Flavoured
$6.50 for 25g

First Impressions

Hojicha Chocolate Mint Truffles came as part of my bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb. This particular sample came in a metallic purple pouch that’s resealable with a black and white label across the front and a clear window to see the dry leaf. It appears to be cocoa covered, and I do like a nice chocolate themed tea from time to time – provided it doesn’t result in an oily slick across from melted chocolate or sprinkles.

Hojicha Chocolate Mint Truffles consists of certified organic: roasted green tea, cacao nibs, peppermint, spearmint and cocoa powder. It definitely smells like both chocolate and mint, which is delightful. It reminds me of one of my favourite holiday time chocolates (After Eight), and ice cream (mint chocolate chip).

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Hojicha Chocolate Mint Truffles in 205°F (96°C) water for 5 to 6 minutes. I opted to follow the steeping instructions for the initial steep and allowed the leaves to steep for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Hojicha Chocolate Mint Truffles steeps to a cloudy brown, with just a hint of oils across the surface. It has a strong chocolate and mint aroma. I did take a sip, and found that the mint chocolate flavour is strong. I did add frothed, heated milk into my mug and found that it adds a lovely layer of creaminess to the flavour profile. It reminds me strongly of a mint hot chocolate, as if I had stirred in a candy cane – all it needed was a handful of miniature marshmallows.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Hojicha Chocolate Mint Truffles, but found that the flavour was lacking in the chocolate department (likely because the cocoa powder was gone).

My Overall Impression

I loved Dessert by Deb’s Hojicha Chocolate Mint Truffles. From start to finish, this hojicha blend reminds me of mint chocolate candy (or ice cream). It has a strong aroma in the dry leaf, followed by a strong flavour. Drinking this as a hot tea latte made it more and more like a cup of hot chocolate with some candy cane mixed in. It’s definitely one that I would recommend to have during the holiday season to get into the holiday mood.

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Glico’s Pocky Green Tea vs. Pocky Dark Rich Matcha

Pocky Green Tea & Pocky Dark Rich Matcha by Glico
$2.49 for 70g / $2.99 for 65g

First Impressions

I’m a fan of green tea treats, so when I spotted two different green tea Pocky flavours I wanted to try them both – and also do a taste comparison! Dark Rich Matcha (right) and Green Tea (left) came at different price points. The Dark Rich Matcha was $2.99 for 65g, whilst Green Tea was $2.49 for 70g.

Dark Rich Matcha comes in a two pack, with a dark green packaging while the Green Tea is white. Truth be told, the mild difference in price doesn’t make too much of an impact for me with only a 50¢ difference. The Dark Rich Matcha comes in a matte box while the Green Tea comes in a glossy box, which makes the Dark Rich Matcha appear more luxurious because of the matte feel.

Pocky Green Tea consists of: wheat flour, sugars, vegetable oil, whole milk powder, vegetable oil shortening, green tea powder, artificial flavours, salt, yeast, soy lecithin, sodium bicarbonate, mono- and di-glycerides, carotene, brilliant blue FCF.

Pocky Dark Rich Matcha consists of: wheat flour, sugars, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, palm oil, shortening, tea powder, wheat gluten, salt, yeast, soy lecithin, artificial flavour, potassium chloride, baking powder, and sucralose.

First Taste

Both Pocky green tea varieties are very similar – same length, same thickness in the green coating. The lighter one was Green Tea while the darker one is the Dark Rich Matcha. Both are sweet – Green Tea has a mild grassy taste while the Dark Rich Matcha has a grassy umami flavour to it combined with hints of chocolate.

The biscuit portion has a very mild flavour to it, a fairly plain cookie in itself. The Pocky Green Tea actually has a nicer looking biscuit stick to it – being more golden in colour in comparison to the Pocky Dark Rich Matcha which has a greenish hue to it. Other than colour though, the plain parts of the biscuit sticks taste basically identical.

My Overall Impression

I loved both Glico’s Pocky Green Tea and Dark Rich Matcha. The flavours of both are good, with a nice flavour of matcha. I find that I enjoy the Dark Rich Matcha more due to the chocolate undertones. The small difference in price points doesn’t influence me either way, although I do like the idea of having two packages in one box, for freshness if for whatever reason I don’t finish it in one sitting (although, really, who am I kidding?). I think they both make for a good snack, and would want to have both again (but definitely the Dark Rich Matcha if given the choice of only one).

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Murchie’s Spring Green Mao Feng

Spring Green Mao Feng by Murchie’s
Green Tea / Straight
$7.95 for 2oz (56g)

Spring Green Mao Feng was a purchase I made myself at a Murchie’s retail location upon the recommendation of a staff member in the store.

First Impressions

I wandered through a Murchie’s retail location and asked for recommendations on green teas – and this was one of them. Spring Green Mao Feng was put into a plastic pouch with a clear window in the front. The bags have printed steeping instructions o the bag to apply to all of their teas, with a brief description of the company at the top (fun fact, Murchie’s has been around since 1894!).

Spring Green Mao Feng is a Chinese green tea – where mao feng translates to fur peaks. Traditionally, mao feng comes from Anhui, China. Spring Green Mao Feng is a beautiful, wiry dry leaf, going from a light spring green to a deep black. It has a grassy aroma to it, and it just smells fresh, like spring rain would.

Preparation

Murchie’s recommends steeping green teas in 79-82°C (175-180°F) for 2 to 3 minutes. I did an initial steep of Spring Green Mao Feng at 79°C (175°F) for 2 minutes.

First Taste

Spring Green Mao Feng steeps to a light yellow. The aroma is light, grassy, and vegetal. There’s a mild sweetness, no bitterness or astringency. It has a very smooth texture and easy to drink. Spring Green Mao Feng has a grassy, vegetal flavour to it that makes for a nice cup of tea. Just a touch of sweetness that lingers at the tail end of each sip.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Spring Green Mao Feng a total of seven times (eight steeps total with the same leaves), using the same water temperature and adding an additional 30 seconds for each subsequent steep. Spring Green Mao Feng holds up beautifully to resteeping over and over again, with the wiry little leaves opening up to show off full leaves in a delightfully young, spring green colour.

My Overall Impression

I loved Murchie’s Spring Green Mao Feng. This green tea came recommended to me, and I wasn’t disappointed! I enjoyed the flavour of this tea from the initial steep to the last resteep. The leaves hold up incredibly well, and I loved the grassy notes. It just felt like spring in a cup – there was something refreshing about it. I would highly recommend resteeping this one as much as possible to get all the flavour possible from the leaves.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.