Seasonal Sakura Green Tea (Unsweetened) from Itoen

The spring Sakura (さくら/桜: cherry blossoms) season has finally come here in Japan!

At this time of year, you can see various Sakura-related products in stores, which include this Sakura Ryokucha (緑茶: green tea).

Itoen Sakura Green Tea

As you know, Sakura is deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

We even use its leaves and extract in foods and drinks, as seen in this green tea beverage and the Sakura Mochi cake.

Compared to the traditional Wagashi confection, Sakura tea is uncommon and rarely seen sold, but this year, I can get it thanks to Itoen.

This Sakura-flavored green tea comes with a paper tag written as さくら緑茶 (Sakura Ryokucha), which actually has fortune-telling on the backside.

This time, I got the 超運 (meaning: Super Luck) saying 思うがままに (As you like) 自分を信じて進んで行こう (Believe yourself and go forward).

The paper slip also has a QR code, which leads you to Itoen’s “Sakura Project (桜プロジェクト)” site (https://www.itoen.co.jp/sakura-plant/).

The unsweetened Sakura green tea contains salted cherry tree leaves, and its taste and aroma remind me of the leaf covering of the Sakura Mochi cake.

In the beverage, Sakura pretty much surpasses Ryokucha in flavor, and I can call this a PET bottle of cherry tea rather than green tea.

Ingredients/Nutrition Facts

Nutritional Values