Tirol Chocolate – Azuki Mochi Matcha
When you’ve had as many flavours or varieties from a brand as I have with Tirol, it’s hard to keep track of what’s new and what’s a rehash or reissue. I’m actually surprised I haven’t had this specific flavour. I actually had to check my back catalogue to see if I was crazy, but alas this is the first. I was probably confused because there was a strawberry daifuku flavour a few times, which is similar to this except the strawberry is gone and is swapped for matcha flavour. Personally, I feel like red bean and matcha go together way better. Throw in mochi into the equation and you have a real winner, winner chicken dinner.
Full disclosure – I had to wait four months for these to arrive in the mail. Had I known it would take that long, I likely would not have risked it, given that it’s chocolate. That being said, these seem to have held up surprisingly well, all things considered. I’ve had chocolate delivered to me melted and it was in transit for way less time. Weird how things work out. I’m sure this has no bearing on how safe something is to consume, given what it’s been through, right?
Apart from some of the colour bleeding into the wrapper, everything looks fine. The inside appears to be intact as well, though I’m not sure if it was impacted at all by how well traveled it is. The inside has a small amount of azuki paste, and a big piece of mochi in the centre. As always, I’m a sucker for that chewy gooey mochi.
The texture is what I come to expect and enjoy about Tirol – the outside chocolate is softy and somewhat melty, so it doesn’t have a snap or anything to it like a darker chocolate would. There is a light layer of azuki paste and encapsulates the soft, chewy mochi centre. I’ve said this before but the larger pieces seem to have a higher quality mochi to it, whereas the smaller pieces, while still tasty, tend to be a bit more gummy and less chewy.
The flavour is the distinct matcha that’s not too sweet, not too bitter. As I bite in, the flavour of the red bean comes through with that earthy sweetness, and the combination is got a nice, smooth finish to it. The two flavours really do go well together, especially in this chocolate.
It should be no surprise that I really enjoy this. Tirol generally nails matcha flavours, and red bean is usually a winner in my book. Throw in that mochi centre and these are a seasonal release that I will look forward to every year. You know, cause it’s likely coming back in one shape or another in the future. And I will be ready.
