Itoen Oi Ocha: Unsweetened Green Tea vs. Bold Green Tea

In everyday life, many Japanese people like drinking green tea or Ryokucha (緑茶) as a refreshment.

Accordingly, various green tea PET bottles are available everywhere in Japan, from vending machines to convenience stores.

As for the variety of Japanese green tea, Matcha/抹茶, Sencha/煎茶, Bancha/番茶, Genmaicha/玄米茶, Gyokuro/玉露, and Hojicha/ほうじ茶 are common types,

and here, you can see PET bottles containing those around the country.

Itoen Oi Ocha Green Tea

Among such green tea PET bottle varieties, what I introduce here, Oi Ocha (おーいお茶) from Ito-En (伊藤園) holds an overwhelming domestic market share.

This product is the Guinness world record holder for the best sales result concerning green tea beverages.

According to the official site of Itoen, Oi Ocha only consists of the first flush tea brewed from special green tea leaves for Oi Ocha finished by green tea masters.

The tea beverage contains no artificial sweetener, preservative, flavoring, or coloring.

Unsweetened Green Tea vs. Unsweetened Bold Green Tea

Itoen Oi Ocha comes in 2 regular varieties: Unsweetened Green Tea (orお～いお茶 緑茶) and Unsweetened Bold Green Tea (or お～いお茶 濃い茶).

For comparison, I’ve got both today, and below are their features.

Oi Ocha Unsweetened Green Tea 600 ml PET Bottle

• Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: 160 Yen
• Best: For nine months after production
• Nutrition Facts: 0 kcal, 0 g protein, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0.03 g salt equivalents (40 mg catechins per 100 ml, 13 mg caffeine per 100 ml)

This one is the original Oi Ocha, a very easy-to-drink, fine-tasting green tea that leaves a refreshing aftertaste. Anyone from adults to children can like it.

Oi Ocha Unsweetened Bold Green Tea 600 ml PET Bottle

• Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: 160 Yen
• Best: For nine months after production
• Dosage: Up to 1200 ml or two bottles a day
• Nutrition Facts: 0 kcal, 0 g protein, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0.2 g salt equivalents (340 mg gallate-type catechins/960 mg catechins per 1200 ml, 20 mg caffeine per 100ml)

This one is the healthier version of Oi Ocha that can bring a certain benefit. With a bold, bitter taste, this earthy green tea helps reduce body fat.

(Reference Pages: Itoen.jp お～いお茶 緑茶 PET 600ml, お～いお茶 濃い茶 PET 600ml)