Tea in Japan is a beverage consumed on a daily basis and is also used in Japanese cuisine, presentation :
- Tea in Japan, an omnipresent drink
- Sencha green tea
- Matcha green tea
- Hojicha green tea
- Genmaicha green tea
- Uji, capital of green tea
- Tea in Japanese cuisine
Tea in Japan, ubiquitous drink
Tea お茶 in Japan is the beverage of reference. It can be found in restaurants instead of water carafes as well as in vending machines, soba (Japanese pasta), savory dishes such as chazuke… Japanese people love tea, it is the most consumed beverage because it has been anchored in their culture for years. It is also the drink that is offered for guests in Japan. What is surprising is that japanese tea is offered free of charge and at will in restaurants. Everyone in Japan has a bottle of tea at hand, even the youngest. It is a daily drink and very popular.
Sencha green tea
In Japan, sencha tea 煎茶 is the most consumed and grown. Its color is very green and its taste is bitter. It is this one that you will find everywhere in Japan, in the form of bottles in beverage dispensers (the most famous one is the Itoen brand), in powder, in hermetic canister… In restaurants, tea is served very hot, you have to suck it up to cool it down like the ramen or udon (Japanese noodles). Tea can also be drunk cold, especially in summer.
In Japan, tea is very appreciated for its flavors and its benefits. Indeed, in addition to being refreshing, it contains many nutrients very good for health.
Matcha green tea
Matcha green tea 抹茶 is beginning to be known in France especially in pastry shops. In Japan, this one comes in the form of powder and is basically used for the tea ceremony. Very well known in Japanese culture, the ceremony consists of delicately preparing a matcha green tea in a chawan bowl according to the Zen tradition.
Hojicha green tea
Hojicha green tea 焙じ茶 is much browner than the others. It is a very popular tea among Japanese people. This one is often served in the restaurants of sushi. Japanese people also drink it in the evening before going to bed because it is very low in caffeine.
Genmaicha green tea
Genmaicha tea 玄米茶 is a green tea mixed with roasted rice. It is a popular tea that was originally drunk by poor people but nowadays it is drunk by all classes of society. It is a green tea with a taste of roasted puffed rice, a very particular taste. It is sometimes mixed with matcha.
There are many other types of green tea in Japan, we present here the most consumed and the most popular.
Uji, capital of green tea
The city of Uji, near Kyoto, is the emblem of green tea. It is in this city that you will find all the possible variations: in Italian ice cream, in kakigori (crushed ice), in pastries, in mochiin soba (buckwheat pasta)… and also different types of green tea. Moreover, it is a very beautiful city to visit where there are sumptuous temples.
Tea in Japanese cuisine
Matcha roll cake
A cream wrapped cake with a matcha sponge cake. A delightful treat!
Italian ice cream
On the street you will find Italian ice cream with green tea, you can find it with vanilla.
In drinks you can find it mixed with milk, matcha latte. You can also find green tea in iced tea with ice cubes. Don’t hesitate to try our delicious matcha latte recipe.
Wagashi – Japanese pastry
Wagashi
are small Japanese pastries that are very refined, you will also find them with green tea.
Chazuke – Ochazuke
Chazuke or ochazuke is a popular family dish in which there is Japanese rice in the bottom and on top of it various ingredients like cooked salmon, sea bream, umeboshi
(salted plum)… The whole is sprinkled with hot green tea.
