Bottled Tea Satisfies Your Appetite

Japan is a big bottled country. I believe you will never ever be thirsty in Japan. When you buy it, you drink it. In other word, you buy it in order to drink, right? 

But one of the leading companies, SUNTORY Holding Limited., doesn’t say that.They propose to buy to “eat”. A recipe with using their bottled Oolong tea is shown on the back of the bottle.It's for Oolong udon noodles!! 

Actually, its website has more recipes including Oolong pancake, Oolong steamed chicken etc.Now, a bottled tea seems not only to satisfy your thirst but your appetite, ha, ha. 

All pics from Suntory holding Ltd.



In case you are intereted in that....this is the web for the company.
http://www.suntory.co.jp/softdrink/oolongtea/meal/recipe.html

Chocolate Season in Japan

Valentine’s Day is a special event in Japan. Maybe it is bigger than you think. Due to the successful advertisement of a chocolate firm, the sale of the sweets skyrockets at this time of every year. The industry enjoys about a third of an annual sales of it during this season. Taking advantage of it. many non-chocolate companies also create special chocolaty sweets. 

This year, Japanese McDonald is one of them. Their newest menu is “McChoco Potato”, which is the fries smothered in chocolate. According to the company, you can have your fries with two types of chocolate sauces chocolate with cacao flavor and white milk chocolate., which will give you “a wonderfully salty and sweet harmonious taste.” In my humble opinion….I don’t know. 

You may think Japanese people eat healthy food. That's not what all do anymore. Less rice, more bread. Less fish, more meat. Less veges, more fatty food......Our diet has changed a lot. You may see that this is a part of the reasons the consumption of green tea has been declining.

Anyway....the unusual menu will be available from January 26^th until mid-February across Japan. 

frm McDonald Japan

Film 『Matcha：An Ippodo Story』

Ippodo wins award at NYC food film festival. Beautiful!
Check it out!

http://www.ippodo-tea.co.jp/en/ff_fes/index.html

Tea + Charcoal =Veggie-Friendly

Did you know that a freshness-preserving agent can be made by bamboo charcoal and tea? I didn’t. 

I read an article about the agent produced by TANKA Co.,Ltd in Saga city, which has been sold well. Since it was put on the market last January, about 180,000 units were sold in total. They say that the agent ,mainly made from bamboo charcoal and "Ureshino tea" can absorb ethylene and ammonia, both of which can spoil food,and it keeps the food fresh much longer. 

This product is not only Eco-friendly but "consumers-friendly" because it's 100 yen per unit. In addition, "veggie-friendly", isn't it?

by TANKA CO.,LTD

Soothing Drink

My father was taken to a hospital by ambulance last Christmas. Luckily it was not life threatening, but his both hands are paralyzed. He still needs rehab to move his hands. 

In order to spend the New Year with us at home, he left the hospital. Back to home, he had a cup of Sencha made by Mom. He looked relieved and said, “It is good. Really tasty......”

He cannot even hold a teacup by himself and has to drink it using a straw. Even so, the tea soothed him. 

I knew tea makes us happy and soothing. But once again his word and face reminds me of the power of tea.

About KFC, Not About TEA :-)

It has been relatively warm for this season, so I don’t really feel “Christmas” or “the end of this year” yet. But Christmas season has already started for sure in Japan too. Illuminations are seen here and there and Christmassy stuff are sold here and there. Christmas songs too. And many Christmassy commercials are seen on TV, which makes many kids excited. 

One of them is KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken. You may have already known about this, but KFC is popular for Christmas season in Japan, especially among families with kids.

 KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN JAPAN LTD

We are happy to celebrate Christmas. But I guess KFC chickens and some cake shops which sell a Christmas cake with a lot of whipped cream and strawberries with edible Santa Clause’s decoration must enjoy this season the most! 

Fujiya Co.,Ltd

BTW, for myself, I’ve never had KFC at Christmas because Mom didn’t like prepared food especially such a special occasions, ha, ha.

Beyond Words

It is so difficult to describe the taste. The taste is beyond words. 

The other day, some tea friends and I tasted Sencha produced from a very rare cultivar. It had very distinctive flavor. I really didn’t know how to express it, but at the deep in the tea, I felt the aroma of “fish bone”. Fish bone!?? I know it doesn’t sound appetizing At All. Rather than that, you would say that you don’t want to try it. But don’t get me wrong. It was Good. I didn't mean it was no good.

My friends were surprised to hear what I said, but one said “Now you mention it, I feel that too.” Another said, “ I can feel that too, but more like 'tai-chazuke' dish (green tea poured over the of sea bream and rice). Well, let me put it this way. It's like umami coming from the 'tai-chazuke'”.That’s it! That’s what I tasted. It sounds much better than fish bone, doesn’t it? 

I know that my expression is often weird, but not only me (Phew...:-) . For other teas, some said “This is like tatami straw mat.” or “I feel as if grass is coming out from my mouth” or so. I have never put tatami mat in my mouth and I don’t want some grass to be came out from my mouth, but understand how they meant. 

infused leaves

The sense of taste and the way of description are different from person to person. That’s why it is fun to share teatime with my friends and share our comments. 

BTW, I don’t want you to get a wrong image from my comment, but the tea I had was sencha produced from "Yamato-midori" cultivar. It has a good body and distinctive flavor with umami, which is "deep in the tea". Again this is my way of expression. Whatever I say,  believe me,  it was good.