Stollen, a German confectionery, is a traditional dessert eaten during Advent, the time leading up to Christmas. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular in Japan.

The custom is to cut the stollen, filled with raisins and dried fruit soaked in liquor, into small pieces and eat it. One of the joys of eating stollen is watching the flavor change over the days as the fruit blends with the dough. This time, we asked the food buyer at Mitsukoshi Isetan to recommend some stollen at the Isetan Shinjuku store, so you can enjoy Christmas from the palate as well.

If you're looking for a unique stollen that stands out, check out Patisserie Sadaharu AOKI Paris's vibrant green stollen (3,899 yen), made with matcha powder. The snow-like sprinkled sugar makes for a beautiful matcha green color when you cut into the stollen, making it a perfect party gift. Akasaka's patisserie Libertable presents a rich stollen (3,500 yen, delivery only) made with large marron glacés and ginger confit. The rich, spicy flavor fills your mouth. For a classic, authentic stollen, we recommend the 16th Arrondissement Stollen (6,400 yen, delivery only), a French pastry made using traditional methods from the Alsace region of France. This item, packed with eight types of dried fruit, has a long shelf life of 50 days, allowing you to enjoy it at your leisure. Isetan Shinjuku also offers a wide selection of traditional European Christmas treats, including the kouglof beloved in Austria and France, pandoro from Verona in northern Italy, and lebkuchen, a Christmas cookie made with honey and spices. *Products available for delivery only are not available in-store at Isetan Shinjuku and must be ordered from the Isetan Online Store (until 10:00 AM on December 9th).