It’s said that the pizza Margherita was created in honor of Italy’s Queen Margherita of Savoy, and that its three toppings, red tomatoes, white mozzarella, and green basil, were chosen to represent the colors of the Italian flag. Of course, here in Japan when foodies think of the color green, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t basil, but matcha. So Kyoto green tea merchant Itohkyuemon, which has been in business since 1832 (some 50 years before the first pizza Margherita was baked) has now created a matcha Margherita pizza.
For this unique spin on the classic recipe, the matcha is supplementing the basil, not replacing it. In addition to mini tomatoes, basil leaf, and mozzarella, Itohkyuemon’s matcha Margherita pizza has a matcha mascarpone cheese sauce, and once the pie comes out of the oven it’s finished off with a dusting of powdered green tea leaves. Itohkyuemon describes the flavor as a mix of sweetness from the tomatoes and basil, milky creaminess from the cheese, and an elegant touch of alluring bitterness from the matcha.
The matcha Margherita pizza is priced at 1,990 yen and is being offered exclusively at Itohkyuemon’s new cafe on Kyoto’s Sannenzaka street, near Kiyomizudera Temple, which just opened this past June. ▼ The cafe also has a lineup of green tea sweets and dessert drinks. Unlike some other novel culinary creations in Japan, the matcha Margherita pizza doesn’t appear to be a limited-time item, but instead seems to have a permanent .