Sip, Chill, Repeat: Japanese Iced Teas and Snack Pairings

Summer days can get extremely hot, and when they do, the last thing you want is a cup of hot tea. If you’re looking for a cold, refreshing, and healthy beverage to enjoy in the summertime, Japanese iced tea is perfect for you. This post explores Japan’s most iconic iced teas and how people use them in warm and humid weather. Get ready to discover some fun recipes!

The Art of Cooling Down: Summer Tea Culture in Japan

Japan’s summer lasts from June to August, with an average temperature ranging from 77°F to well above 86°F. To make matters worse, the country also experiences high humidity in that period. On average, the relative humidity is 78% to 83%, which, combined with the high temperature, can cause heat exhaustion.

In Japanese tea culture, the second harvest (nibancha) and third harvest (sanbancha) seasons for tea fall in the summer. Teas harvested in that period are considered lower-grade, and many farmers are unwilling to produce cheaper tea in the scorching heat. Nevertheless, Japanese people continue to enjoy tea throughout the summer. However, they often shift their focus from warm to chilled teas like mugicha and cold-brew sencha.

Tea ceremonies don’t stop either, but they evolve a little. Guests at these events drink their tea from a flat bowl instead of a cylindrical one because the flat utensil is better at releasing heat. Some of these flat bowls feature designs that reflect the current season. In the summer, tea ceremony participants tend to wear lighter kimono with only one layer of undergarment.

Matcha Moments: Bold Flavor Meets Sweet Harmony

Matcha is green tea powder processed from tea leaves that were grown under a shade and away from direct sunlight. Its unique production process gives it a vibrant green color and an umami-rich flavor. The average tea enthusiast uses matcha in various ways. It can serve as flavoring for desserts and confectioneries or as a color additive for noodles.

Matcha is the most common beverage at Japanese tea ceremonies all over the world. People often balance its umami with delicate sweets like mochi or wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets). When served chilled, it is perfect for mindful summer sipping. You can make matcha iced tea at home using the following steps

1. Mix matcha and warm water in a cocktail shaker.

2. Shake vigorously until the mixture is lumpless. 

3. Add honey, ice, and mint to the cocktail shaker.

4. Shake for 10-15 seconds.

5. Serve the tea in a glass and garnish with a slice of lime.

Refreshing Sencha: Light, Grassy, and Ideal Cold-Brewed

Sencha is the most popular green tea in Japan and makes up 80% of the total production in the country. It’s the go-to daily beverage from spring to winter. Like matcha, sencha has a bright green color and umami-rich flavor; however, during sencha production, the tea leaves are steamed and dried.

Cold-brewing sencha brings out a smooth, clean taste ideal for hot days. Hence, iced sencha is a beloved drink in Japan during summer. This is how to brew it at home:

1. Add sencha leaves to a small teapot.

2. Pour enough boiling water to fully submerge the leaves.

3. Allow the tea to steep in the boiling water for one minute.

4. Put ice in a glass and pour the tea into the glass.

Hojicha’s Roasted Warmth… Even When Iced

Hojicha is a form of roasted Japanese green tea. It does not undergo the same steaming process as other teas in the country. Hojicha typically consists of lower-grade tea leaves and stalks from the same plant used to make sencha and bancha. It has a golden-brown color and a sweet, toasty flavor. The roasting process helps to lower its caffeine content, making it more appealing for people looking to cut back on their caffeine intake.

The warm, comforting, and nutty notes of hojicha work surprisingly well chilled, making it a delicious beverage to help you beat the heat. Follow these steps to make hojicha iced tea:

1. Add hojicha leaves in a teapot.

2. Pour boiling water until it covers all the leaves.

3. Allow the tea to brew in the water for one minute.

4. Strain the tea into a pitcher and add milk or honey, then stir.

5. Add ice to a glass and pour the steeped tea on the ice.

6. Pair it with sweet-savory snacks like rice crackers, kale chips, and roasted chickpeas.

Barley Tea (Mugicha): Japan’s No-Caffeine Summer Hero

Mugicha is a family-friendly, caffeine-free drink and one of the most popular teas in Japan, China, and Korea. It’s made by roasting unhulled barley grains. Other countries in East Asia have their versions of this barley tea. However, Japanese people have been enjoying both hot and cold mugicha since the 8th century. It has become their go-to summer drink and offers several health benefits.

Barley tea has a golden-brown color. In terms of flavor, it tastes sweet, aromatic, and nutty. Its smell ranges from smoky to robust, depending on the method used in the roasting process. Here’s a brief guide on making summertime mugicha:

1. Add mugicha grains or a packet to a teapot and pour in boiling water.

2. Allow the tea to steep for two minutes.

3. Transfer the content of the teapot to a pitcher and add cold water.

4. Keep the pitcher in a refrigerator for several hours (2-3).

5. Serve the tea in a glass of ice.

6. For contrast, we recommend that you pair cold brew mugicha with salty, crunchy snacks like potato chips, edamame, and almond nuts.

Yuzu, Ume, and Seasonal Infusions

In Japan, seasonal fruits often feature in beverages, especially tea. Two of those seasonal infusions feature yuzu, a type of citrus, and ume, the Japanese plum. Both yuzu and ume teas have become popular in summer for their tart refreshment.

Yuzu tea is made by steeping green tea (typically sencha) leaves in a pot of boiling water before adding dried yuzu zest (or peel) to the pot. You can add sweeteners like milk or honey to reduce the tartness of the tea. It can also be served unsweetened.

The preparation of ume tea follows a similar procedure. Green tea leaves are steeped in a pot and then infused with Japanese plum. Both yuzu and ume teas are typically served cold by pouring the flavored tea in a glass filled with ice cubes. Enjoy them with fruity snacks like chocolate-infused strawberries, lemon tart, orange chocolate, peach-flavored cake, or sakura (cherry blossoms) mochi.

Kyusu and Kawaii Bottles: Serving Summer Tea in Style

For centuries, tea has been the most common beverage in Japan. The fact that it’s so widely consumed has led producers to sell these drinks in various containers. In the past, brewed loose-leaf teas sold in traditional vessels like clay teapots (kyūsu) were most common.

From the 1980s, modern vessels dominated the tea-drinking market. Tea drinks are now sold in reusable PET bottles and cans featuring colorful designs. Throughout the year, these drinks line the shelves, refrigerators, and vending machines of supermarkets and grocery stores. You can access them on the go without having to wait for the drink to brew. Bottles and cans are also more portable, allowing you to stay cool when you spend time outdoors in the summer. Overall, they enhance the iced tea experience visually and functionally.

Tea and Snack Pairings for a Japanese-Style Afternoon Break

Thanks to the meticulous curation by our food writer, here are some tea-time snack pairings you can try in the summer:

1. Iced hojicha with yokan: The nutty flavor of hojicha combines nicely with yokan, a jelly-like Japanese confection. Order our Organic Hojicha Tea and Rainbow Yokan Jelly to experience this special combo.

2. Matcha iced tea with melon gummies: The bitter taste of the powdered green tea provides a good reason to pair it with chewy, sweet melon gummies. Our premium Wasanbon Matcha Green Tea Mix offers the delicate sweetness of traditional sugar, balancing the bitterness of the beverage.

3. Mugicha with potato chips: Enjoy sweet mugicha and crunchy, savory Wasabi Potato Chips.

4. Yuzu tea with desserts: Milk chocolate, lemon tarts, and cakes combined with yuzu tea make the perfect gift. Send a yuzu tea bag with the Bokksu White Chocolate Strawberry and Okayama White Peach Castella to your loved ones, or enjoy them yourself. 

Beyond the Teahouse: Japanese Iced Tea on the Go

Gone are the days when the only way to enjoy high-quality tea was to attend a tea ceremony or visit a teahouse restaurant. Today, quality options in the form of canned and bottled teas are sold at convenience stores in Japan. If you want premium Japanese tea delivered to your doorstep, explore our vast collection at Bokksu Boutique. The Japanese Tea Box is one of our best-selling products, and it contains several premium-grade teas, including matcha, hojicha, yuzu-infused tea, black tea, and genmaicha.

Chill, Sip, Gift: Sharing the Taste of Japanese Summer

While tea and snack bundles are great personal treats, they are also perfect for gifting. You can share the exquisite flavors of summer with friends and family by sending them unique, carefully crafted offerings from Bokksu Boutique. We recommend The Largest Snack Box EVER, which offers an endless supply of premium Japanese snacks and the Matcha Mornings Premium Gift Bundle, which features a green tea mix, a teacup set, and a cozy Imabari bathrobe. Our gift boxes and bundles are perfect for any occasion!