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Pairing Japanese tea & food
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Idrom
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PostPosted: Jun 08, 2006 8:21 pm    Post subject: Pairing Japanese tea & food Reply with quote

Are there any rules or traditions for pairing (Japanese) food and tea? Combinations with sweet food and fat fish are classic in English tea. Does the same go for Japanese green tea? Is there such a thing as a tea 'sommelier' in Japanese restaurants?
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T
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PostPosted: Dec 31, 2006 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had sushi for the first time last night and this morning for breakfast. It was great ! It went good with my sencha of course...like everything else does. From what I've read in some tea books, chocolate is supposed to go good with sencha.
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Chip
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PostPosted: Dec 31, 2006 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

T wrote:
From what I've read in some tea books, chocolate is supposed to go good with sencha.


...lol...I just read that on the Harney site...it sounded a little strange to me. I seriously love dark chocolate and have a little everyday but never thought about pairing it with sencha.

I usually stay away from pairing really good Japanese tea with food...I mean...great sencha is almost a meal in itself for me...I do not want anything to cloud the experience.

So, I go with Japanese tea that will not get lost with food...genmaicha works for me...or an everyday sencha with a little extra leaf to give it a little more kick. Roasted Japanese tea is good with food too.

mmm...sushi...but for breakfast, T...you are living the life!!!
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Kevangogh
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PostPosted: Dec 31, 2006 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Green tea goes really well with sweets such as cake. Actually, during the tea ceremony part of the ritual is to have sweets ("wagashi") along with the tea. The one sweet that comes to mind is "youkan" which is kind of like a jelly-like paste of sweet red beans.

Be sure to keep in mind one thing - Japanese sweets are no where near as sweet as American sweets are.
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Chip
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PostPosted: Dec 31, 2006 4:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

admin wrote:
Green tea goes really well with sweets such as cake. Actually, during the tea ceremony part of the ritual is to have sweets ("wagashi") along with the tea. The one sweet that comes to mind is "youkan" which is kind of like a jelly-like paste of sweet red beans.

Be sure to keep in mind one thing - Japanese sweets are no where near as sweet as American sweets are.


...yes, I have heard that...less sweet would be good with tea...that would be much better with tea...vs American sweets.

So, do they have Hershey bars and American things like that in Japan??? I would think that Japanese youth not bound by tradition would be drawn more to western sweets/drinks...like Coke???
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Chip
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PostPosted: Jan 02, 2007 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

admin wrote:
Green tea goes really well with sweets such as cake. Actually, during the tea ceremony part of the ritual is to have sweets ("wagashi") along with the tea. The one sweet that comes to mind is "youkan" which is kind of like a jelly-like paste of sweet red beans.

Be sure to keep in mind one thing - Japanese sweets are no where near as sweet as American sweets are.


I received some awesome Japanese cookbooks as gifts...it is great when you get something that just blows you away because it is the greatest gift...short of a kilo of Miyabi... Laughing ...but I cannot expect too much.

But I was paging through the one and got to the sweets section and they had those youkan...they are sooo bizarre looking...like a rock in an ice cube...

I would love to live in Japan for a year so I could experience Japanese cooking the right way before I try some of these dishes...my Japanese cooking is probably more "fusion" than authentic....

But reading the recipes is so foreign without knowing 90% of what they are talking about.

So, Kevin...I will be at your door soon... Rolling Eyes
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Kevangogh
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PostPosted: Jan 02, 2007 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Give me a ring.....
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Chip
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PostPosted: Jan 02, 2007 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

admin wrote:
Give me a ring.....


...lol...I prefer not giving you advanced warning... Wink I don't want to give you time to hide your "good tea."
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Canundrum69
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PostPosted: Feb 06, 2007 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

admin wrote:
Green tea goes really well with sweets such as cake. Actually, during the tea ceremony part of the ritual is to have sweets ("wagashi") along with the tea. The one sweet that comes to mind is "youkan" which is kind of like a jelly-like paste of sweet red beans.

Be sure to keep in mind one thing - Japanese sweets are no where near as sweet as American sweets are.


Ok my ignorance my be showing in this but I am kind of giddy at my recent discoveries of the wonders of Japans food and drink.

A Friend of mine recently introduced me to a dish called "Taiyaki" that had a really delicious red bean paste in it. is that the same thing?
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Innchan
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PostPosted: May 25, 2007 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The yookan is actually made of the red bean paste (anko in japanese), that is the filling in taiyaki, and agar agar. And LOTS of sugar! shock
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Photiou
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PostPosted: May 26, 2007 3:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

T wrote:
From what I've read in some tea books, chocolate is supposed to go good with sencha.


I can confirm that - it just depends on flavor of chocolate and sencha. I did eat 85% dark chocolate and some quite 'smooth' sencha at work - quite a nice combination.
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T
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PostPosted: May 26, 2007 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, they good together...chocolate and sencha. I had some chocolate at work too earlier in the week....
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Photiou
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PostPosted: May 26, 2007 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

T wrote:
Yes, they good together...chocolate and sencha. I had some chocolate at work too earlier in the week....


I doubt milk chocolate and sencha with abundant marine notes would blend. Not tried it but it just sounds awful.
(Some odd combinations are good though as banana and dark sourdough rye bread)
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teawitch
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PostPosted: Aug 19, 2007 2:21 pm    Post subject: Green Tea and Chocolate Reply with quote

There is no specific certification as a tea sommelier, but there are many who are investigating this exciting new interest.... tea and food pairing. Dark chocolate does, indeed, pair well with green tea..... green tea also pairs well with certain sharp cheeses.
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Chip
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PostPosted: Aug 19, 2007 10:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Green Tea and Chocolate Reply with quote

teawitch wrote:
There is no specific certification as a tea sommelier, but there are many who are investigating this exciting new interest.... tea and food pairing. Dark chocolate does, indeed, pair well with green tea..... green tea also pairs well with certain sharp cheeses.


Welcome Teawitch,

I have, since I posted my reservations about dark chocolate and green tea over a year ago, found that dark chocolate does indeed go with Japanese green tea much to my surprise, especially matcha.
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