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Tea School  /  May 23, 2022

Tea and Food Pairings: Japanese Green Teas

by Tea Cachai

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Pairing Japanese Green teas with food is a tradition much older than many might think. For example, Matcha is well known for its traditional use in Japanese tea ceremonies, and usually, during this event, there is food served to guests such as traditional Japanese sweets (wagashi) and/or a light meal.

In this post, Will, from Nio Teas will share a few favorite food pairings he’s found during his travels around Japan and will explore why certain flavors work well together, and which pairings you should avoid. So let’s get pairing!

Matcha Pairings

First of all, in case you don’t know what Matcha is, it is a type of powdered green tea, but it has to be made from specific tea leaves (Tencha). These leaves are shaded for 3 weeks before the harvest, the top 3 sprouts are selected in the early spring and they have their stems removed, all to improve the flavor. They are then ground into a fine powder in a large stone mill (learn the Matcha basics).

Matcha and Mochi


To start off, let’s talk a bit about one of the more classic food pairings for Japanese green tea. Wagashi or Japanese sweets can be thought of as the original tea food pairing. These decorative sweets are presented to the guest during the Japanese tea ceremony, along with a bowl of Matcha.

A common ingredient in wagashi is “mochi” or rice dough. This dough is made by pounding glutinous rice into a smooth dough, and then it is often flavored with other ingredients. These different styles of mochi are sometimes seasonal like sakura mochi for example, which is made as a specialty dessert during cherry blossom season.

Favorite Matcha Mochi Combo

Our favorite mochi is called Daifuku, which is filled with sweet azuki bean paste. This is something you will find in shops all over Japan, and even a few specialty stores around Europe and the U.S.

By eating something sweet alongside the matcha, you are able to smooth out some of the bitterness. It is almost unheard of to add sugar to Japanese green tea, so as an alternative, many people like to enjoy a sweet like daifuku alongside the tea to indirectly sweeten it.

Matcha in particular can have an especially strong flavor to it, so you may enjoy having a nice sweet treat to look forward to.

Matcha and White Chocolate

White Chocolate Matcha Truffles aka Brigadeiros

When it comes to pairing food with Matcha, there are two main rules to follow. The first is you want to keep the pairing sweet and the second is, that you want the flavor to be neutral.

The reason you want to pair Matcha with something sweet is that Matcha can have some bitterness to it, and this is brought out by certain flavors like citrus, for example. Instead what you want to do is pair it with something sweet to neutralize the bitterness.

Because Matcha has a very intense taste profile, it’s also best to not pair it with something else that has a unique flavor like dark chocolate for example. What you want to do instead is pair it with something like white chocolate, which has a sweet yet neutral flavor.

Check out a few amazing recipes that combine Matcha and white chocolate:

White Chocolate Matcha Truffles
White Chocolate and Matcha Salami

 

Hojicha Pairings

Hojicha is a tea made from roasted green tea leaves. Although the leaves are brown and the infusion is a reddish color, this is actually not a type of black tea, instead, it is simply a roasted Japanese green tea. 

Hojicha and Roasted Nuts

This is a food pairing introduced to us at Senchado, a tea shop in Tokyo. Here guests can sample an assortment of roasted nuts and dried fruit. A few of their favorites include cinnamon almonds, smoked pistachio, candied walnut, and dried figs. We find that these warm and sweet flavor profiles tend to pair well with roasted teas like Hojicha.

Hojicha is a perfect tea for the fall, with notes of coffee beans, caramel, and burnt brown sugar. It’s no surprise that this tea pairs well with anything related to cinnamon, roasted nuts, and other quintessential fall flavors. Hojicha pairs well with many simple snacks really, as long as the flavors fall more on the warmer side of the spectrum.

Hojicha and Pickled Ginger

This pairing is one we were introduced to at Sakurai, a tea house in Minato. With Hojicha, you generally want to go for warming characteristics, and ginger definitely fits the bill.

You may think that these two flavors would clash, but they actually work surprisingly well together. Try a slice of fresh ginger in your glass of Hojicha tea and see how you like it. You may notice that it helps to enhance the warming qualities of the tea.

Try some delicious Hojicha recipes:

Hojicha Overnight Oats
Hojicha Yoghurt Cake
Hojicha Bliss Balls

 

Bancha and Popcorn

Bancha is a green tea made from the older leaves on the tea plant, and the flavor has more of these cereal notes, as opposed to the fresher, more citrusy notes of a Sencha for example. These work great with something like popcorn, and the taste of Bancha is so mild, that it doesn’t clash with the flavor of the snack.

We like to think of Bancha as a nice “snacking tea”. It is low in caffeine so you can drink it in the afternoon, it is thought to help with digestion and it has a mild flavor that pairs well with certain foods.

The older leaves of the tea plant tend to be higher in minerals, and drinking Bancha with or after a meal is thought to help with digestion. Making this food pairing could be a way to not only enjoy your snack more but also feel better after you eat it.

 

Sencha and Edamame

Edamame often comes to mind when trying to explain the flavor of Japanese green tea. It has a subtle sweetness, a smooth yet savory finish, and a hint of this steamed vegetable characteristic.

Edamame is often served as a side dish with sushi, which also pairs well with Sencha tea. Try some steamed edamame alongside a cup of Sencha tea next time you want an afternoon snack. Because the flavors are so similar, they work great together!

 

Bonus: Wakocha with Dark Chocolate

While almost all the tea consumed in Japan are Japanese green teas, there are a few types of Japanese black tea or Wakocha.

Because these teas are fully oxidized, they tend to drift off into a warmer, slightly sweeter direction. This makes it a great choice for a chocolate pairing. The sweetness of the chocolate smooths out the astringency and accentuates the caramel notes of the black tea.

Which one was your favorite of these Japanese green teas and food pairings? Do you have your own food pairings you’d like to share? Be sure to let us know!

 


 

About the Author: Will has been working with Nio Teas for the past 4 years, and during that time has helped to educate people through video content about Japanese green tea on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Nio Teas is a distributor of premium Japanese green tea grown without the use of pesticides. They meet with small farmers all across Japan to learn about tea and find the best teas to share with people all around the world. 

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Tags

  • bancha
  • hojicha
  • japanese green teas
  • matcha
  • pairing
  • sencha
  • tea and food pairing
  • wakocha

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🙌🏼 A short break. I stopped within the rush 🙌🏼 A short break. 
I stopped within the rush of my day and I took some time to sip and appreciate my tea 🧘🏻‍♀️ 🙏🏼.

💫I chose @herbsandkettles Assam Golden Needle for this moment (sometimes the weather drives me to a certain tea, and today’s Florida winter ☀️ called for a not too strong Black Tea)
➡️ This tea is made from buds only which have a beautiful caramel color and aroma. I brewed it at 195 F for 4 minutes ⏰.
This tea has a full body and mouthfeel yet it’s very smooth and has almost no astringency. You can taste some fruity and cacao notes, some woodiness and a hint of spices. It has a long lasting aftertaste too.

✨The range of variety within a tea type is mesmerizing. Once you get deep into tea you never want to stop trying new varieties! Anyone with me?🙋🏻‍♀️
🙋🏻‍♀️ I often get asked what's the bes 🙋🏻‍♀️ I often get asked what's the best way to sweeten tea, and I guess the right answer is whatever works for each person! ⁣
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Personally, I only add a little Monkfruit when I drink lattes, but I drink unsweetened, unflavored tea most of the time.⁣
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For a special treat 🎁 , I sometimes make naturally flavored simple syrup. I was #gifted this travel electric kettle with temperature control by @buydeem_global and I love that you can use it to infuse too because of the strainer on its lid. ⁣
It has 3 temperature settings and 3 timer options to hold the temp.⁣
⁣
🌹 I made a honey rose simple syrup by boiling water, then steeping the rose petals for 7-10 minutes in the kettle, and combining the steeped rose tea and honey (1 part each). I immediately used it to sweeten my Earl Grey Latte (aka 🇬🇧 London Fog!).⁣
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The kettle is perfect for travel and moving it around, and the 60•C temp is perfect for making Japanese Green Tea (and I love that it holds the temperature so I can use it instead of my thermal bottle). The only downside is that it takes a bit longer to boil water, but the practicality of it is unbeatable!

If you ever do so, what’s your favorite way to sweeten your tea?
✨Advent Calendar season is almost here! (You sti ✨Advent Calendar season is almost here! (You still have time to get yours if you haven’t for this year).⁣
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Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, it is a great opportunity to try different teas  and explore from several companies who offer them (if you not into the countdown, wait for after season sales!).⁣
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💓 I have my favorites for this year ➡️ (link in bio!). ⁣
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Did you get one? If so, which one did you get or are excited to try?
⚡️*𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓*⚡️ (pay $1 for shipping)⁣
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I don’t think I can live without Matcha 🍵(can you?).⁣
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🤔 If someone came to me and asked if I would like to try GREAT quality Matcha for FREE, heck yes I would! ⁣
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For real, if you want to try 3 different and excellent types of Matcha from @naokimatcha for FREE (just pay $0.99 for shipping) go to the link in my bio (𝘯𝘢𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘢.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦/𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘢-𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘳-𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬) and order with the code 𝐍𝐀𝐎𝐊𝐗𝐓𝐂𝐂. ⁣
You’ll get 3 sachets of different blends: Superior Ceremonial Blend, Fragrant Yame Blend, and Chiran Harvest (my favorite! So smooth, with a buttery texture, and sweet, nutty, umami flavor)⁣
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Great for drinking on their own, in the morning or for that post-lunch slump (my energy pill 💊 !) or for making a hot or iced latte. ⁣
💡Share with your friends so they can try it too!⁣
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I personally love, drink and recommend @naokimatcha a lot and love collaborating with them because they have really good Matcha 💚 if it’s good, I gotta spread the word!⁣
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Lmk if you’ve tried any of these blends
A new tea book is out and it’s by my friend Nico A new tea book is out and it’s by my friend Nicole from @teaformeplease !! 🎊🎉⁣
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I’m super happy to be one of the first to get this book (you can get yours on Amazon - release day May 17th).⁣
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✔️ It’s full of super fun tea based drink recipes and some baked goods too. You can find iced, hot, lattes, cocktails & mocktails and boba too. It’s a great book for tea lovers who would like to explore more ways to enjoy it and learn how versatile tea is. ⁣
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If you’re building a tea book library 📚 , this one is a must, and a great book to gift to any tea lover 💜.⁣
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🔥 Congratulations again Nicole on this amazing achievement!
Over a month into Spring 🌸 and I can see my te Over a month into Spring 🌸  and I can see my tea preferences starting to change. I’ve been drinking fresher feeling and more cooling teas, such as green, lightly oxidized Oolong, etc. (Here I’m enjoying a lovely Dragonwell green tea).⁣
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Now that I live in FL, so many people ask how can I drink tea with the heat, but when inside I’m always always drinking tea, same as before! Still, cooling teas can be great to regulate body temperature and even reduce the perceived heat 🥵.⁣
⁣
💝 Love serving tea to friends who come by my place for any reason. This lovely kettle + cups set is from @kitchen_kite and I LOVE it. It has a big stainless steel infuser to steep the tea and 4 delicate double-walled glass small cups to serve tea. So elegant! (It is also stovetop safe and dishwasher safe) #gifted ⁣
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What have you been drinking this Spring?
👉🏻Here’s a super interesting one:⁣ Sweet 👉🏻Here’s a super interesting one:⁣
Sweet potato plant leaves tea 😮 . It’s a herbal tea made from sweet potato plants in the Laoshan district in China, and processed similarly to black tea.⁣
It’s the first time I tried it and I was blown away by it. I love trying rare teas and herbal infusions and this was a special one! ⁣
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🔎It is roasted 5, yes FIVE times to stop oxidation, so it’s a very time consuming tea to produce. Farmers in the area are shifting from harvesting crops to making tea because it’s more profitable as demand for this type of tea is increasing 🥔.⁣
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☕️ I brewed it at 200•F and it had a strong sweet potato and savory aroma. I would have expected more sweetness to it but I was surprised with its brightness and how soupy/brothy it tastes. I also found some cooked spinach notes. Overall a fantastic experience ⭐️. ⁣
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I got this tea from @verdanttea (#gifted) which I sincerely can’t recommend enough.⁣
💚They are a truly transparent company, which I know many people appreciate tremendously, and pick their partners (farming families) carefully according to their values (sustainability, quality & craftsmanship, etc). They honor them by highlighting their teas and stories and focus on them and their teas rather than their own brand.⁣ They carry AMAZING tea & teaware!
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Have you ever tried this tea❓
Happy last Matcha Monday 🍵 of the year! Wishing Happy last Matcha Monday 🍵 of the year! Wishing you all a wonderful 2022 filled with joy and health 🙌🏼.⁣
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Matcha is one of my favorite things to help boost my energy⚡️. Besides loving its flavor, color and preparation process and ceremony, the calm alertness and energy that it provides is so appreciated! ⁣
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I love a Matcha latte in the morning and a traditional Matcha cup/bowl after lunch to get over that slump😊.⁣
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Do you take Matcha to boost your energy or just because you like it? 💚
👋Happy Monday!⁣ I wanted to share about one o 👋Happy Monday!⁣
I wanted to share about one of the most luxurious tea gifts I’ve ever received. If you’re looking to really 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 someone and want to splurge, then I absolutely recommend this @samovartea gift box (You, Me and a Cup of Tea).⁣
 ⁣
It comes with a 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 well curated variety of 5 loose leaf teas, including a herbal blend that works amazing as a cold brew and a chocolate Pu-erh that makes a killer latte!⁣
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It also comes with one of my favorite tea brewing accessories, the brewing teapot, a tea scoop and a lovely tea guide with brewing directions.⁣
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Pictured is one of my favorite teas of the box, California Persian: a black tea blend with cardamom, rose blossoms, jasmine and orange zest. It is a beautiful, elegant and well balanced blend that works perfectly well for an afternoon tea setting. It has strong rose 🌹 and some citric notes (I like brewing it at 195 F for 3 minutes).⁣
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Again, I was wowed by the luxurious tea experience of this box #gifted. Everything is so well put together and the packaging is designed with an amazing eye for aesthetics and attention to detail.⁣
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Would you like this as a gift? (Hint: I promise you would! 😜)
🤔 How many of you doubt about buying certain te 🤔 How many of you doubt about buying certain teas online because you’re not sure you’ll like them?⁣
Or how about that guilty feeling of ‘I REALLY (this time really!) shouldn’t buy anymore tea? (Would getting sample sizes make you feel better? 😜)⁣
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💡 I put together a list of companies that offer very reasonably priced (and some even FREE 💸 ) tea samples for you to try before you commit to buying larger quantities (𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐈𝐎).⁣
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This is also great for people who want to get deeper into tea and want to try many different types without having to invest too much.⁣
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✨ I wish I had a resource like this one back in the day when I was starting with my tea romance. Now you have it, enjoy!
Does this Monday feel super slow or is it me? 🙌 Does this Monday feel super slow or is it me?
🙌🏼 I’m recharging my energy this morning with a delicious latte from @favatea ‘s holiday sampler (#gifted). This tea is called Frosty’s Brew and it is a black te with white chocolate and orange… very indulgent! I feel the holiday season calls for exploring blends that I wouldn’t try often and of course, making them into lattes!
This sampler box had several teas that make great lattes, even some Rooibos ones that my kids enjoyed! (After my 6-yo son tried a tea latte he would’t go back to regular tea! 😂)
💡 Remember: for lattes use at least double the amount of tea that you would usually use to make a regular cup. We’re looking to make a concentrate. Always add more leaves, not more time!
✨Matcha tasting time 🍵 This was a fun one! @ ✨Matcha tasting time 🍵 This was a fun one!

@naokimatcha launched a very limited tasting set of 3 Matcha where only 1 will be added to their line. The blends are named after their region of origin: Uji, Wazuka and Nishio. 

It was really hard to pick a favorite because all 3 were delicious, fresh and good quality Matcha (#gifted). But overall my favorite was Uji Harmony: It was delightfully sweet, smooth but thick and creamy with little grassiness and a perfect umami balance. Its color is a bright, vibrant green that only reflect freshness and quality.
The two other blends were excellent as well, I found the Wazuka blend great for beginners because it was less umami, smooth and ‘cleaner’.

Have you tried any of these? (Get their Matcha tasting set with 20% off on their website)
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