There are many foods related to Japan that we Japanese see when we stay abroad.
Among them, Japanese green tea and matcha are widely known abroad.
There are a variety of products such as locally flavored green teas, matcha-flavored sweets, and eye-catching products with bizarre packaging.
In this issue, we will introduce green tea and matcha, which are well-known both in Japan and overseas.
Matcha – A Type of Japanese Green Tea
Matcha is a powdered Tencha, and also a drink to which hot water is added and stirred.
In addition to being used as a drink in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, it is also widely used as an ingredient in Japanese and Western confectionery and cuisine.
Even though its origin is in China but it is widely known as “originated in Japan”.
Overseas, it is sometimes called "Matcha" or "Sencha," which is a copy of the Japanese pronunciation.
The Popular Japanese Green Tea in Japan
Non-fermented tea, produced without fermentation of tea leaves, is the collective name for a variety of teas.
It is an essential part of the daily diet in Japanese households.
Japanese usually drink green tea with a snack or have a cup of green tea after a meal to feel refreshed.
Nevertheless, it is said that younger generations of households are "moving away from tea" and that many households no longer have kyusu (teapots) or yunomi (teacups).
However, when we looked at the data on attitudes and intentions regarding green tea consumption, we noticed that they are consuming green tea in some ways.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website, "Statistical Information".
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/finding/mind/index.html
A high 61.9% of respondents answered that they usually consume green tea in PET bottled beverages, which is convenient to carry and suits modern people.
This was followed by green tea brewed from tea leaves (excluding tea bags) at 54.8%. It seems that the traditional way of brewing green tea is still popular.
Green tea brewed in tea bags accounted for 36.3%. This easy way to drink green tea is to pop a tea bag into a mug and pour hot water over it while at work.
We then asked what kind of impression foreigners around us have of green tea, and we received feedback as below:
“I've had a few sips of matcha overseas, but very few of green tea."
“I drank it for the first time since I came to Japan."
“The aroma and astringency of green tea are impressive. I was also interested in the simplicity of the tea utensils used in Japanese homes."
The teapot "kyusu" that j-Grab Mall offers has a stainless steel tea strainer with fine holes that do not clog easily.
And for the green tea, we have a selection of green teas from Kyushu.
Characterized by its smooth taste, Kyushu's tea will be easy to brew for green tea beginners.
The best water for Japanese green tea is soft water with a hardness of 30-80, so we recommend brewing it with mineral water close to this hardness!
