What is "GREENTEA"?
Hello everyone.
Quick question: do you know what "GREENTEA" is?
If you immediately thought, "Of course I do! That iconic drink, right?", then you must be from the Kansai region! 🤔
For everyone else who thought, "Green + Tea... so, just regular green tea?", let us explain!
Meet Our Kansai "GREENTEA"
Around here in Kansai, "GREENTEA" isn't plain tea—it’s a sweet blend of matcha and sugar.
You’ll often see it in chilling dispensers at the front of local tea shops and shopping streets, famously sold for just 50 yen a cup! It’s such a nostalgic local favorite. When I was little, I used to tag along on my mom’s shopping trips just to beg her for a cup...
I honestly thought everyone in Japan grew up with it, but it turns out it’s mostly a Kansai thing!
That said, after looking into it a bit, I realized it is sold in a few other regions too. So if you knew about GREENTEA and aren't from Kansai—my bad! 😄
"Green Tea" Around the World
Unlike regular green tea, Kansai GREENTEA is made from matcha powder.
Overseas, though, "green tea" can mean all sorts of things—sweetened steeped tea, green tea lattes, or plain unsweetened tea.
That’s why whenever international guests come to our shop, we always double-check with a smile: "Just so you know, this is a sweet drink made with matcha and sugar!"
The Nakamura Tokichi Honten Special
Our GREENTEA uses frost sugar, which gives it a light, clean sweetness. It dissolves effortlessly in cold water, leaving behind none of the heavy, sticky sweetness of white sugar.
It’s just as delicious hot, so you can enjoy it all year round.
A quick tip: try topping it with warm milk foam, as shown in the picture! It’s delightful to watch the flavors slowly blend together.
And that’s the story of our beloved "GREENTEA."
Do you have a favorite local drink where you live? 😊
