3,500 FamilyMart convenience stores in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture welcomed a new dessert on Tuesday (February 9) conceived by the store staff themselves: the “Apricot Kernal & Mango Soufflé Pudding.” The delicious delight make its way to Japan’s Kanto region as well as Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures on February 16 for a total of around 5,900 branches.

FamilyMart staff working in these regions all came together to pitch their ideas for a new dessert which included presentations and taste testing votes carried out by representative staff. This included everything from the dessert itself and its flavour to the price and packaging. The result was the adorable treat you see below.

Apricot Kernal & Mango Soufflé Pudding | ¥298 (Tax Included)

The Soufflé Pudding was actually first released at FamilyMart in November 2018 and is the convivence store’s number one most popular dessert for its combination of two desserts which bring together the fluffiness of soufflé and the melt-in-the-mouth texture of Japanese-style pudding. Their new iteration of the dessert features a milk pudding and a milk soufflé, the latter being made with whole apricot kernels. It’s finished with a cute panda branding. All of this sits on top of a mango pudding foundation, and on top of that mango whipped cream.

Comment from a staff member involved with pitching ideas

Store Staff at Musashi-Shinjō Station’s South Exit (Kawasaki, Kanagawa)

“Eating in Chinatown is something I’ve done occasionally since being a kid. It’s a place I’m very much familiar with, and that’s precisely why I wanted to come up with something to overcome the trouble that the pandemic has brought, so I pitched the idea of combining our popular Soufflé Pudding together with two things that are a staple in Chinese cooking: apricot kernels and mango pudding. We were conscious of making the panda branding cute so kids and girls would see it and think, ‘This looks good!’ I have confidence in this dessert and recommend it, even to those who don’t really eat pudding but like annin tofu. I hope lots and lots of people get to try it!”

Comment from a staff member involved in the product’s development

Arai, Kawasaki Chueigyosho in the Kanagawa Region (Kawasaki, Kanagawa)

“All the store staff working within Kanagawa Prefecture were free to submit their ideas when we were developing the product. Everyone working at the participating stores as well as staff members at the company all voted on 195 ideas, and one of them in particular shone from all the rest, so we went with that one. Coming up with how we were going to create the result as well as the price were first and foremost. We paid much attention to the entirety of the product including its taste, packaging design, how it should be presented on shelves, and so on. We are proud of what we have made, we’ve put our all into it so that the customer enjoys it from the moment they pick it up to eating and savouring the last bite. Please be sure to try it for yourself!”

The dessert is a collaborative effort between store staff and a twist on FamilyMart’s number one most popular dessert. If you’re planning a trip to Japan, be sure to head to your closest FamilyMart convenience store, now available in Tokyo and Kanagawa branches and subsequently across the Kanto region on February 16.