Shiitake Cha: Japanese Mushroom Tea from Gyokuroen
As I wrote in this article, we have three kinds of tasty soup-like tea, and Shiitake Cha (しいたけ茶: Shiitake tea) is among them, widely available here in Japan.
Shiitake Tea from Gyokuroen
As you know, Shiitake (しいたけ/椎茸) is a mushroom native to East Asia, known as a rich source of umami, because of which we use the food in various ways.
Shiitake Cha (しいたけ茶: Shiitake tea) is one such example, which has a savory umami flavor and is like a tasty soup.
The mushroom tea usually comes in powder form. And this one (Price: 248 yen) from Gyokuroen (玉露園) is a convenient stick type.
The preparation is easy; just put one stick of tea base powder in the cup and pour 100 to 120 ml boiling water.
Stir well, and here is the Shiitake Cha. It is lightly salted and flavorful, and you can see tiny bits of Shiitake mushrooms in the tea.
Because of its rich umami components, the tea base is versatile and multi-purpose, like dashi granules, as described on the backside of the package.
Not only enjoy Shiitake Cha, but you can use the powder in the cooking of Chawanmushi, Osuimono, or onion soup as stock or to enhance umami.
Ingredients/Nutrition Facts
|
Salt, Dextrin, Sugar, Shiitake extract, Dried Shiitake chips, Seasoning (Amino acid), Flavoring |
Nutritional Values
| Calories | 5 kcal |
| Protein | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1.0 g |
| Salt Equivalents | 0.8 g |
