Kombucha - in English vs in Japanese -

Have you tried kombucha before? I suppose kombucha you may know could be “fermented tea”, but for Japanese, it’s not. It’s a drink made from powdered kelp called kombu. 

What you call kombucha was popular when I was a kid as “kocha-kinoko”, literally means “black tea mushroom”. Sounds weird, doesn’t it? It was not appetizing AT ALL to me, as a little girl. Due to such a weird name, I remember its existence, but I was too scared to try back then. 

Recently, I found a canned kombucha made in the US. I am already grown up enough to try, and I did. I did green tea and lemon flavored one. Unfortunately I didn’t taste any green tea, but as a drink it was good. Much better than I expected. 

BTW, Japanese kombucha is also good to drink and to season foods. When you have a chance, give it a try!

Japanese kombucha and Ume (pickled plum) flavored kombucha
Photo by Fuji Shokuhin Co.,Ltd

* FYI  -frm Wikipedia -

<History> 

It is not known exactly how or where kombucha originated from.The drink was consumed in east Russia at least as early as 1900, and from there entered Europe.

<Etymology> 

The English word kombucha has been in use since at least 1991, and is of uncertain etymology. The American Heritage Dictionary suggests that it is probably from the "Japanese kombucha, tea made from kombu (the Japanese word for kelp perhaps being used by English speakers to designate fermented tea due to confusion or because the thick gelatinous film produced by the kombucha culture was thought to resemble seaweed)."

Things that We Enjoy at Cafe

How to brew the second and
third infusion provided by a tea cafe

When we ate out and sat down to a meal, a green tea was served free of charge as welcome drink. And still "is" at many places. So many of us didn’t/don't take the tea as what we pay. When bottled green tea emerged in the market, we thought “Who on earth bought green tea??”. Now the bottled tea is very very popular so that many people take the tea as what they drink from a bottle. 

Bottled tea is still popular, but the new trend is also seen these days. New green tea cafes are mushrooming here and there. Each café has its own style, tea menu and tea food, but many cafes have the tea menu serving with kyusu (teapot). I know people in general go to such a new place mainly because they want to try its special food and sweets, not for tea. But once they visit and have some tea, they can find out its “real” taste and learn how to brew because many cafés teach it. Especially younger people, who didn’t know the real taste made from kyusu, seem to enjoy their green tea time. 

Anyway, green tea is becoming a thing that we pay. Green tea is becoming a thing that we enjoy. 

ICHO - withering -

To produce sencha, the tea is steamed or pan-fired in order to stop oxidization soon after plucked. For black tea, wilt the leaves for a while. This process known as "withering (icho in Japanese)" helps create a specific aroma. The aroma created by icho, called icho-ka, is considered as “not appropriate” for umami-centered sencha. But now the situation seems to be changing. Some farmers produce sencha with slight withering “on purpose”. 

Actually, sencha in the past would have a little bit of accidental natural aroma due to the lack of mechanization. The work would need more hands and took more time back then. So even plucked, the leaves were often left as they were. This caused unintentional withering, adding a faint aroma. I remember what an elderly people say: “Sencha in the past had sensitive flowery sweet aroma, which I liked better (than the one now)”. Since the standard of sencha was set by an organization at one point, the tea with icho-ka has not been valued as high quality. Mechanization is good to standardize the tea, but it can mechanize it. 

Nowadays, the values of people have diversified. Sencha with a hint of icho-ka may create the buzz sometime soon.

Particular about Texture

Japanese language is rich in words to express "texture". 

According to a research by National Food Research Institute (2003), there are 445 words to express texture in Japanese while 77 words in English. BIG difference, isn’t it?

 

To name a few.....

When you eat those food below, I assume you could use CRISPY/CRISP, but we often use different words respectively.

* lettuce = "shaki-shaki"

* cucumber = "pori-pori".

* crisps (chips) = “pari-pari”

* toast = "kari-kari"

 

What about CRUNCHY?

* rice crackers = “bori-bori”

* oat biscuits =”zaku-zaku”

* tempura=”saku-saku”  

 

CHEWY can be translated more than one.

* fluffy pancake / rice cake = “mochi-mochi”

* firm noodles = “koshi ga aru”

 

Of course, how you express texture is different from person to person, but you can see that we are busy in using different words depending on what we eat. Even teatime is no exception.

"mochi-mochi" crumpets, "shaki-shaki" salad,  "toro-toro"poached eggs
and "puri-puri" prawns

Can "Wakocha" Be a Household Word?

Mitsui Norin Co.,Ltd, one of the major beverage and food manufacturers, announced that they will put the "wakocha (Japanese black tea) tea bag" on the market this autumn. 

Now, since the tea is often sold directly from the tea farmers, it will be the first wakocha to be sold by a major company and available throughout the nation. Although it seems a little more expensive than the teas that they have now, it can be a good chance for wakocha to become a "household name". Many tea people -- including me -- are pinning our hopes on it. 

- photo by Nihon Shokuryo Shinbun online news -

Morning Ritual of Drinking Tea

Japanese people of old times would believe the power of "morning tea". They considered it as the one to ward off accidents. Knowing that there are many proverbs related to morning tea in Japan, you may understand what it means.

To name but a few.....here are some proverbs related to morning tea.

   1) Drinking tea in the morning before you go out avoids trouble.

   2) It’s good sign if a tea stem floats upright in your morning tea.

   3) If you set out on a trip without drinking morning tea, you have to go back to drink even if  you have to turn back halfway.

   4) Drinking tea in the morning brings more good luck to you.   

                                     

In practice, drinking tea (especially sencha) in the morning is also good for you at the time of this year to protect from ultra-violation. It is because that the tea is rich in Vitamin C, which can remain even in infusion.

A morning tea is a must to protect yourself and your beauty, isn’t it?

Hospitality in Business World

When I started working at a company, which was more than 20 years ago, whenever the guests came, the female employees would serve a drink using a ceramic cup. It was common practice in general. Recently, that isn’t always the case. A friend of mine told me what happens to the company where she works. They buy drinks from the vending machine in the office and serve them. That can be more efficient, but I was not sure if it becomes a common practice.

I found a survey about “hospitality to the guest at the workplace”.

 

1)Do you serve the guests with a drink at your office?  

     Yes 86%

 

2) What kind of cup do you use? (a multiple-response questionnaire)

      Pottery/porcelain  76%

      Glass  58%

      Paper cup 16%

 

3) What kind of drink do you serve? (a multiple-response questionnaire)  

      Japanese tea 87%

      Coffee 85%

 

4) Do you feel bad to use a paper cup for the guests?

     Yes 53%

     No 47%

 

According this survey, a lot of company still use pottery or porcelain for drink. Regarding 4), 10 years ago, 66% of people felt bad to use a paper cup. Compared with it, the rate is declined, but still more than half of people feel reluctant to use paper cups. 

In order to show the feeling of  "omotenashi”, which is heartfelt hospitality, “how to serve” seems to be still important in Japanese business field.