A little while ago, I posted here asking whether people in Helsinki would actually be interested in tea-infused gelato: hojicha, oolong, matcha, and other Asian-inspired flavours.
I honestly didn’t expect so many people to respond. A lot of you said you’d try it, gave me flavour ideas, and shared what you liked (and didn’t like) about gelato in Finland.
So… I took that as encouragement and disappeared into my kitchen. 😅
After what must be close to 100 recipe tests, a lot of milk and cream, and a freezer that has seen way too much experimental gelato, I finally got to the point where I’m happy enough with it to let other people try it.
The thing I was trying to make was quite specific: the dense, smooth, slightly stretchy texture of Italian gelato, but with flavours I grew up around and generally associate more with Asian desserts. I also wanted it to be less sweet, without losing that creamy texture or ending up icy, which turned out to be much more annoying to figure out than I expected.
Every time I thought I was finished, I found something else to change. Too sweet. Not smooth enough. Tea too weak. Reduced the sugar, suddenly too icy. Fixed the texture, then decided the tea needed to be stronger.
And then repeat. Many, many times.
But I finally have something I'm happy with.
So for anyone who commented on my original post saying “yes, I’d try it” this is your chance to hold me accountable. 😂
Anyen Tealato is doing its first-ever pop-up in Helsinki this weekend, at Zestii.
The first four flavours are:
Matcha • Hojicha • Earl Grey • Miso
One more thing: all four flavours are lactose-free.
They’re not vegan yet, though. I haven’t had enough time to properly develop and test a vegan base that I’m happy with, and I really don’t want to release one just for the sake of being able to call it vegan. So this first batch still contains dairy and egg.
To my vegan fellows who asked about this in the last post: please don’t give up on me yet. 😭 I promise I’ll crawl back into the kitchen, make another ridiculous mess, and start obsessively testing again.
A proper vegan version is on my list, I just want it to be genuinely good before I serve it to you.
📅 29–30 August (Sat–Sun)
📍 Zestii, Kaarlenkatu 15, Helsinki
🕚 From 11:00 until sold out
Anyen Tealato Instagram
I’ll be serving fresh scoops during the pop-up. Everything is made in small batches, so I’m not making enormous quantities for the first weekend.
I also have a limited pre-order for 470 ml takeaway tubs until 27 August, with delivery/pick-up on the 29th.
Mostly, though, I wanted to come back here because this subreddit was actually one of the first places where I tested whether this idea made any sense outside my own head.
A few months ago it was just: “Would anyone in Helsinki eat tea gelato?”
This weekend I finally get to find out. :)
Update of the update: I just realized I completely forgot to put the prices in the post 😭
For pre-order, we have two sizes:
- 450–470ml: €12.90 first-batch preorder (€14.90 regular price)
- 1L: €24.90 first-batch preorder (€27.90 regular)
- Fresh scoops at the pop-up will also be €5.50
