With “fresh” and “local” being key words for food products these days, manufacturers of pre-packaged items are seeking ways to change the image of their traditionally less than healthy goods. While bottled green tea might be one of the already acceptable convenience store products, CIC Co. goes the extra mile with its Kyo no Matcha.
With a twist of the air-tight cap, 1.4 grams of traditional Kyoto matcha (high-grade green tea) is released into the mineral water below, creating a serving of fresh (yet instant) tea with no added chemicals or preservatives. In the same fashion, CIC Co. also offers Ukon (tumeric) and Aoijiro (kale juice) health drinks.
Aojiru Tea is new from HW Styles and we had a chance to sample at a recent health expo. “Aojiru” just means “green juice” and has been a keyword for healthy drinks lately. Instead of kale, this version contains barley and uses the same unique bottle concept.
At ¥5,280 for a case of 24, Kyo no Matcha is nearly twice the price of regular bottled teas, but certainly within the acceptable range for products billed as healthy and natural.
¥5,280 the 24-pack?
that’s more than Asahi Super Dry beer!!!
To the delight of the fast food industry, quick food options have become engrained in the mind of the consumer as a choice between convenience and nutrition. For students and employed adults who don’t have time to prepare meals, convenience inevitably wins out almost every time.
Scrumptious Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream
Matcha is the term for finely stone ground green tea from Japan. The Japanese cultural activity known as a “tea ceremony” revolves around the actual preparing, serving, and consuming of matcha tea. Today, matcha has not only gained widespread popularity as a beverage outside of Japanese, it has additionally become a popular flavor and dye in other beverages and food dishes like soba noodles, mochi, green tea ice cream, milkshakes, and many baked and other sweet treats. Matcha Green Tea makes a truly dreamy ice cream that is easy enough to prepare that you can do so at home. All you need is an ice cream maker and a few simple ingredients (cream, milk, salt, eggs, and sugar) along with some match powder and you will be impressing your family and friends in no time with your scrumptious ice cream.
This recipes makes about 1 quart of ice cream and generally takes about 30 minutes to prepare, (and then about 5 hours to harden in your freezer). The ingredients you will need are: 2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup sugar, 6 large eggs, and 2 tbsp matcha green tea powder. You can order matcha powder online or also sometimes find it in an Asian market. After you have opened the matcha packet, any remaining powder needs to be store in an air tight, opaque container and refrigerated, (unless otherwise specified on the matcha packet).
In order to make this yummy ice cream, first combine the cream, milk, and salt in a 3-4 quart saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, remove it from the stovetop. Next, whisk together the eggs, matcha powder, and sugar in a bowl. Note that the matcha tea powder will not yet dissolve completely. That is okay. Then add 1 cup of the hot cream mix into the egg and matcha mix. Pour in a slow, constant stream while whisking vigorously. Whisk this “custard” mixture into the remainder of the cream mixture in the saucepan and cook over relatively low heat. Stir the mixture continuously using a wooden spoon, until it is sufficiently thick enough that it coats the back of your spoon. If you have a cooking thermometer, it should be about 170 degrees Fahrenheit (77 degrees Celsius). Do not let the mixture reach a boil.
Immediately pour this mixture through a fine filter into a stainless steel bowl, and allow it to cool to room temperature, while stirring it occasionally. Then chill the mixture, (covered), until it is cold, (usually at least an hour). After chilled, add the mixture to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Then transfer your ice cream to an airtight, opaque container and put it into your freezer to harden. Your ice cream will stay fresh and delicious for about 1 week.
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