Where do I go for a swim during summer in Ibaraki? Ajigaura Beach in Hitachinaka. A fun place to go swimming and even ride a banana boat. After I go for a swim, I often get a bit peckish and head to a place to grab a fantastic shake and an amazing hot dog. That place is Almond Tree Shaker.
Almond Tree Shaker
Almond Tree Shaker's homebase is in Ajigaura Beach. Lately though, they have been going to different events and markets. They have even made an appearance at the Tsukuba Village Market. But their home is Ajigaura and that is where their main menu is. Almond Tree Shaker is at the Ibafornia Base Building which is all the way to the right side of the beach. Unfortunately, Almond Tree Shaker is only open during summer weekends.
The Menu
I have some good news and bad news about the menu. The good news is there are pictures of different food items with English on it for non-Japanese speakers. The bad news is the main menu is in Japanese only. The menu has shakes, smoothies, hot dogs, nachos, dessert, soft drinks, and beer.
I have gone to Almond Tree Shaker a few times, and have met them at different events. Let me tell you about my experience.
"Average" Chocolate Chip Cookie
I don't know why this cookie is called "average." I don't think it is average at all. It is delicious. It is a bit dry, but the almond butter baked in with the chocolate chips is magical. I highly recommend doing this if you can get your hands on one of these cookies. Buy milk from Suzuki Farms in Ishioka and pour it into a glass cup. Take a bite out of this cookie and then take a sip of milk. That rich fresh milk with this incredible cookie is something I still dream about. If you want to get really wild, just dunk that cookie in the milk.
Almond Butter Vanilla Shake
Let me tell you what my wife did when she had this shake. I handed her the almond butter vanilla shake, she took a sip from the straw, and I swear she surprised me when she yelled out "うまい!" (umai is delicious in Japanese) The whole beach heard her and I believe her echo carried all the way to the lighthouse. Even the owner of Almond Tree Shaker chuckled a bit at her reaction. She has every right to scream umai. This shake is a nectar from the almond butter gods. The vanilla ice cream and almond butter make a perfect fusion of deliciousness. It is sweet but not too sweet, just perfect. I will say to be careful with the almond chunks. My wife coughed a little bit because one got stuck in her throat. Other than that, I love this shake and I am sad I can only have it during summer.
Vanilla Ice Cream with Almond Butter and Lemon
Continuing on with vanilla ice cream, here is the vanilla ice cream with almond butter and lemon. Quite a long name for a menu item. You must be thinking "what's up with the lemon part? I don't see a lemon in the picture." The ice cream brings lemon oil, not an actual lemon. I know. I had no idea that lemon oil existed too. So how is this ice cream? I tried this ice cream while hearing the waves crash on the beach, and I could've sworn that after my first spoonful, I entered dessert Nirvana. The lemon oil was excellent and was a perfect companion to the almond butter. The ice cream kept everything cool and sweet. I have tried to recreate this dessert in my own kitchen using almond butter from Tree Shaker. It is still delicious but without the lemon oil, it is just not the same.
The Hot Dog
Do you know how many times I tried to have this hot dog, and every time I went it was sold out? Five times! It took a somewhat rainy day and a less than crowded beach for me to get my hands on this hot dog. If it is a regular beach day, this hot dog sells out in an hour or two. The hot dog brings a basil sausage, almond butter, salsa, small corn chips, mustard balls, ketchup, with a side of potato chips. The buns are not normal hot dog buns. The buns reminded me of sour dough bread but with a lighter taste. The buns really worked out because it kept everything in place. My wife bit into the hot dog and gave another hearty "うまい." After I took a bite, I had to agree with her assessment. The inner bun was lined with almond butter which enhanced the flavor of the sausage. The salsa wasn't too spicy. It gave it a nice little kick of flavor. I absolutely loved the mustard balls. The almond butter, sausage, and mustard balls were a match made in heaven. I don't really think the hot dog needed ketchup at all. I would love to have this hot dog again, but unfortunately I have to wait until next summer.
Chunky Almond Butter with Sugar
I have talked about the different menu items of Almond Tree Shaker but I have yet to talk about the actual almond butter. This is Almond Tree Shaker's bread and butter (see what I did there?). You can order a small size or large size glass jar of almond butter. The picture above is the small size. You can also order smooth or chunky, and sugar or non-sugar.
I highly recommend buying one of these, especially the chunky jar, and spreading it onto some fresh toast. It will make your morning piece of toast a spectacular piece of toast. Better yet, if you have vanilla ice cream at home, scoop some of this almond butter on there and taste how great your ice cream just became.
Delicious Almond Butter
I am always happy to see Almond Tree Shaker, be it at Ajigaura, the Village Market, or any other event. Their desserts and shakes make my day, and their hot dog is something I will continue to think about till next summer. Until next time Almond Tree Shaker. I hope to see you at the next Ibafornia event in October.
So if you see a flag with almonds on it waving in the wind at an event near you, walk on over to that both and give their incredible almond butter a try. Who knows, you might see me there, hopefully enjoying an almond butter shake or a vanilla ice almond butter treat.
Enjoy!
If you would like to try Almond Tree Shaker's almond butter but can't go to Ajigaura or any events they are at, you can order almond butter from their website:
https://almondtree.official.ec/?fbclid=PAAaaEzuHZITqO4hYqmKBIQMwW2tCRHva7OIeJ8F5IRa7Gn4n2mVHaN4d8juM
If you would like to know what event they will be at next, check out Almond Tree Shaker's Instagram page:
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