ITOEN's Shizuoka Green Tea

Well, this is kinda awkward.

I bought this new green tea I found in a drugstore with excitement. It was my first time seeing the internationally popular green tea brand Itoen produce and sell tea from Shizuoka, but of course, others shared the excitement too, and JTsuzuki reviewed it already. You can check it out here.

Since Itoen is widely available nationwide and even internationally, I am going to take a second shot at reviewing this tea as well.

I mentioned how this brand is quite global, and you can see that from the packaging immediately. The instructions on the back of the package are written in Japanese and English. The steps are clearly explained with the help of illustrations too, so even those unfamiliar with Japanese green tea can enjoy it too.

What really impressed me was that a video is available for those who need an extra into virtual assistance. Great idea, Itoen.

The tea itself is nothing short of impressive. Upon opening the bag, the smell fills my surroundings. This high grade Shizuoka green tea is quality stuff. Maybe it is my mental expectations knowing the brand already, but I felt that this Shizuoka green tea smelled more like the typical visitor-friendly green tea than the strong and characteristic Shizuoka green tea I have learned to love.

The colour was a brighter green as well. I believe one thing that makes this tea’s first impression so strong and positive is the fact that the tea is very finely grind. This allows the smell and flavour to come out at an instant, and the package comes with a resealable opening too to help keeping it fresh. Again, the small touches that big companies are experienced with.

The aroma, the taste, and the colour were all amazing, which is expected not only from the brand, but also the fact that this bag of 100 g costs over 900 yen. You are getting what you are paying for, however.

If there is one big downside (other than the price) about this tea is that because the tea is so fine, when I used my tea mash ball, quite a lot of the small grains of green tea escaped from the ball and went into the tea. It also made a bit more of a mess on my desk when I was preparing the tea. It does add more flavour into the drink, but when my drink got closer to the bottom, it was a bit too sandy until I added more hot water. A very fine mash is recommended if you are drinking this Itoen Shizuoka green tea.

Maybe the price will hold you back, but if you want some green tea to treat yourself to a nice taste of Japanese tea, Itoen’s Shizuoka green tea is definitely one to consider.

This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.