Eat Your Tea: A Light Side Dish with Brewed Shincha Leaves
Hello everyone, I'm Keko, one of the online staff members.
As we welcome early summer,
many of us begin enjoying seasonal shincha, the first harvest of Japanese green tea 🌿
After brewing it once or twice,
you’re left with soft, bright-green tea leaves—still full of aroma and tenderness.
And rather than throwing them away, I always think:
Couldn’t they become a little dish of their own?
So today, let me share the first in our “Eat Your Tea” series—
a gentle, refreshing side dish made from brewed tea leaves.
🫛 Brewed Shincha & Tuna with a Light Citrus Dressing
| ngredients (serves 2) Brewed shincha leaves (lightly drained) – about 2 tbsp Canned tuna in water – about 2 tbsp Ponzu or a mix of light dashi + lemon or yuzu juice – 1 to 2 tsp Toasted sesame seeds (white) – 1 tsp Optional: chopped shiso or myoga for extra fragrance If available: boiled whitebait (shirasu) is also a beautiful match |
Instructions
Lightly squeeze the tea leaves and finely chop them.
Mix all ingredients gently in a small bowl.
Add a final splash of citrus for extra brightness ✨
This dish pairs the soft bitterness of shincha with the light saltiness of tuna,
creating something subtle yet satisfying.
Serve chilled with a bowl of rice, or enjoy it as a small starter with sake.
You’ll find that the more you use tea in your cooking,
the more you discover just how versatile it can be 🌿