Green Tea Macarons with White Chocolate Yuzu Ganache

I was inspired to do these macarons back in culinary school during the cherry blossom seasons. Since then, they have become a staple in my repertoire for decorated macarons. The filling is yuzu, a type of Japanese citrus fruit that tastes like a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit. The combination made is to create a blend of earthy, freshness in the macaron shell which is coloured green with matcha powder and a sweet, creamy. citrus flavour.



I really wanted to mimic the delicate and intricate nature of wagashi in this macaron. Appearance, taste, smell, sound and texture are all important components of a Japanese confection and these are all presented in these macarons. It's best to enjoy these with a nice green tea much like how many wagashi is enjoyed. The tradition of eating sweets with tea in Japan probably originated in 1349. During this period, the eating of meat was forbidden as part of a blanket ban by the Emperor due to religious reasons. Around this time a monk, Rin Jōin, made some steamed buns to be served along with tea. Instead of meat that is familiar with dim sum nowadays, he would use bean paste and other vegetarian options.