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or matcha ice (抹茶アイス ''Matcha aisu'') is a Japanese ice cream flavor. This flavor is extremely popular in Japan and other parts of East Asia. Green tea ice cream is also sold in ''monaka'' form. It has been available in the United States since the late 1970s, primarily in Japanese restaurants and markets, but is currently moving into mainstream availability. ==Summary== There is a clear indication that Mount Fuji-shaped green tea ice cream was an item on the menu at the royal dinner party during the Meiji period (1868–1912). The true origin of green tea ice cream, however, is unknown. Although green tea itself seems to have existed as local handmade ice cream at some districts in Japan, none of the Japanese flavored ice creams were really merchandised until the 1990s because the major Japanese ice cream manufacturers were producing vanilla, strawberry and chocolate as their primary flavors. However, green tea shaved ice has been well known and popular in Japan long before green tea ice cream. The amount of luxurious imported ice cream has increased in the Japanese market since the import liberalization act of ice cream in 1990.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Japanese Dairy Farming and the WTO Agricultural Negotiation )〕 However, the trigger of the nationwide sales of Green Tea Ice Cream in Japan was actually from the importation of green tea ice cream from Maeda-en USA in California with the catch phrase "Pure Japanese style made from California”. It has been produced since April 1995, using fresh California milk made in U.S.A. The same product was soon imported and distributed to convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan as well and it was introduced in some Japanese newspapers. Soon after, the Japanese ice cream manufacturers recognized that Japan was ready to move on to a new era, one where Japanese people accepted different and unique ice cream flavors besides vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. During a certain period of the 1980s in Japan, Meiji Dairies started selling its green tea ice cream with Lady Borden Brand but eventually discontinued selling the product. In 1995, Maedaen exported green tea ice cream to Japan, which became current topic in Japan rapidly, then influenced other major manufactures to start introducing their green tea ice cream products. As a result, many more green tea ice cream products spread into market in Japan until now. Häagen-Dazs Japan started producing green tea ice cream in 1996.〔:ja:ハーゲンダッツジャパン#.E6.AD.B4.E5.8F.B2〕 The product is now sold in Japanese grocery markets and has become one of the company's most popular flavors. Statistics from the Japanese Ice Cream Association show that green tea ice cream was ranked third in the “Favorite Ice Cream Flavor” study. It is served in many restaurants as a dessert. In order to prevent a change in color to green tea ice cream (catechin) from sunlight, some containers have lids with an opaque underside. Some green tea ice cream is artificially colored, and others have natural green coloring from the catechin present in green tea. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Green tea ice cream」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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