We all know that tea is very healthy and the most popular beverage in Japan as many people love it. Green tea is often consumed with Japanese meals; however, you may not realize that because there are different types of green tea, each tea is typically paired with a certain type of food. Below, I’ve compiled a list of different teas, and shared the perfect food pairing for each!
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SENCHA (Green Tea)
Sencha is the most common type of tea consumed by Japanese people. Its aroma is so strong it will make you feel like you’re in the middle of a tea farm, as if the leaves you’re smelling were just picked. With a grassy taste and a hint of bitterness, Sencha provides a delicious boost and makes for a very refreshing iced drink.
Sencha goes well with steamed vegetables and seafood, so dishes like Simmered Kabocha Squash or Satsuma-imo gohan are perfect pairing matches.
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MATCHA (Powdered Green Tea)
A Japanese green tea powder made from finely powdered dried tea leaves, Matcha is another really popular type of tea in Japan. With its abundance of umami and sweetness, it has a bright, vegetal—while slightly bitter—taste. It is the type of tea that you’ll likely find used in tea ceremonies.
Matcha is a tea that pairs really well with sweet/fruity flavours—like chocolate or red bean paste—so dishes such as Oshiruko or Nama Chocolate are great pairing choices. Sweet and fruity flavours aren’t the only ones, however, there are a lot of flavours that pair well with matcha.
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KONACHA (Residual Green Tea)
Made from residual tea dust and small processed leaves of gyokuro or sencha, Konacha has a dark green colour and a very strong, thick taste. It also contains high levels of Catechin that can supposedly kill bacteria in raw fish and reduce the risk of food poisoning.
Konacha is normally served in sushi restaurants as the taste also pairs well with raw fish, so dishes such as Kaisen Ura Futomaki or Spicy Yellowtail Sushi Roll are an excellent pairing pick.
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HOUJICHA (Roasted Green Tea)
Houjicha is made with roasted tea leaves that give it its distinctive reddish-brown color and cause the tea to have a soft, caramel-like aroma. The leaves are roasted until any humidity is gone, which not only alters the flavour of the tea but lowers its caffeine content as well.
This tea pairs perfectly with smoked and/or roasted foods, so we recommend Beef Yakitori or Japanese Root Vegetable Stew (Nishime)
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GENMAICHA (Green Tea with Roasted Brown Rice)
Made by mixing roasted Genmai grains and tea leaves, Genmaicha is considered a popular alternative to the standard green tea. The roasted brown rice kernels give this tea its distinctive nutty aroma. If you want to try and make Genmaicha yourself, Japanese Greentea Co. has instructions on how to do it!
The flavour of this tea beautifully complements fatty fish such as tuna or salmon, so Mirin Glazed Salmon or Tekkamaki Tuna Sushi Roll are both great matches.
Now you know what food pairs well with different types of tea! Make sure to book our Matcha Kyoto Green Tea Tour to explore the Uji District of Kyoto, famous for its Matcha. And if you still haven’t had enough of the tea world, make sure to get Mariëlla Erkens’ new e-book Tea, Wine’s Sober Sibling, an in-depth guide to the world of tea, perfect for tea lovers and tea connoisseurs!
Featuring photo credit: Content Pixie on Unsplash
To explore an underrated tea region in Japan, check out our Suruga Multi-Day Itinerary, and be sure to ask our team of experts to help tailor your travel itinerary and add in some amazing green tea terraces!
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