An afternoon tea fair is being held at a hotel in Kyoto City, where you can enjoy the autumn flavors of Kyotanba Town, Kyoto Prefecture, with a focus on Tanba chestnuts. It was planned in cooperation with local farmers, the town office, and the hotel. They deliver the best chestnuts and make efforts to bring out their natural flavor, including their sweetness. The fair will be coloring autumn afternoons until the end of November 2024.

"Kyoto Tanba Chestnut Afternoon Tea." In the foreground are plates with six light meals, and Mont Blanc and Madeleines in a bamboo steamer (Hotel in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City)

The first attempt was held last fall by HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO (Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City), located east of Nijo Castle, and Kyotanba Town, Kyoto Prefecture, which calls itself a "food town." This year, the chef visited farmers again and created a menu after repeated conversations.

The Kyotanba Chestnut Afternoon Tea (7,100 yen) is served at FORNI, an Italian restaurant inside the hotel. You can enjoy a range of sweets and light meals made with plenty of fresh chestnuts.

For the Mont Blanc, wasanbon sugar is mixed into the cream to match the sweetness and aroma of the chestnuts.

The madeleines are made with a rice flour dough, which allows the honey flavor to spread easily.

There are also mousses made with yogurt from Suchi High School and Tamba wine.

There is also a yogurt and Tamba wine mousse made by students from the food science department of Suchi High School (Kyoto Tanba Town).

A plate of six light meals, including black bean potage (left) and shimeji mushroom quiche

For light meals, there are six dishes on the plate that make use of local specialties other than chestnuts, such as black bean potage, quiche with hatakeshimeji mushrooms and black edamame, and chestnut kinton with Kyotanba pork.

Chef Itagaki Yuki, who prepared the sweets, says, "We have put together a menu that can bridge the thoughts of the producers. Enjoy new ways to taste and express the ingredients."

For more details, see the hotel's website or call 075-468-3100.

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Shortbread made with Tanba chestnuts and Kyotanba black bean kinako

Tamba chestnut sweets that can be taken home are also available at the hotel shop. The new product, "Kyotanba Chestnut Chocolat," is made by turning a whole chestnut into sweet azuki beans and coating it in caramel chocolate. Inspired by the fact that chestnuts were presented to the imperial court, each one is carefully placed in a wooden box.

Other shops in the hotel also serve menus related to Kyotanba, including an original cocktail inspired by the "Tamba fog" served at the bar.