10 Awesome Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

One of the widely consumed beverages worldwide is tea. With its numerous proven benefits, tea drinkers all over the world increase by the numbers daily. Green tea is among the favourites. If you were ever considering how you can live healthy, then this is one of the most pleasant ways of going about it. According to a Boston nutritionist Beth Readon, RD, what makes green tea special and beneficial is its richness in catechin content. Known as antioxidants, catechins inhibit further cell destruction. Unlike black tea, green tea does not undergo the fermentation process where most nutrients are lost. This special ability can be owed to pure and unprocessed teas.

Here is an interesting infographic by howtolivehealthy.org covering 10 benefits of drinking green tea.

Source : http://www.howtolivehealthy.org/10-awesome-health-benefits-drinking-green-tea/

What are the differences between Matcha vs Green Tea Sencha?

What is Green Tea Sencha

First, we would like to go over what “Green Tea Sencha” is. Green Tea sencha is a green tea that is processed by an unique style  (steaming process) that was created in Japan. This initial steaming step imparts the  difference between Chinese and Japanese green tea. In most part in the world, Japanese teas are most likely to be senchas (of course sometime it will be gyokuro and matcha etc.), and they are generally named “green tea.”

Matcha vs Green Tea Sencha

We got an interesting infographic from shizentea.com which pick the one essential difference that makes these two teas different.

Source : http://blog.shizentea.com/2013/07/difference-between-matcha-and-green-tea%EF%BC%88infographic%EF%BC%89/

19 JAPANESE KITKATS YOU HAVE TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE

“Have a break, have a KitKat.”

But when in Japan, you can have many breaks, because the world-favourite chocolate bar comes in a gigantic array of flavours and each one will take your taste buds by surprise. It is no secret by now that the Land of Rising Sun houses exclusive flavours that gets the world excited, and they have fast become collectibles and the perfect souvenirs.

For the uninitiated, these KitKats are scattered all over Japan, and every city has their own editions. They come in an assortment of surprises, with flavours you’d never imagine – purple sweet potato, Hokkaido red bean, cayenne pepper, sakura matcha, wasabi…

We are on an never-ending quest to conquer every single one, but for now, here are 19 Japanese KitKats you have to try before you die:

#1 AMAOU STRAWBERRY KITKAT (KYUSHU)

On your quest to find ‘em all, you might chance upon many types of strawberry-flavoured ones, and Amaou Strawberry is one of them

#2 AZUKI SANDWICH KITKAT (TOKAI AND HOKURIKU)

This is the classic take on Japanese’s favourite red bean.

#3 BENI IMO KITKAT (KYUSHU AND OKINAWA)

Or otherwise known as the purple sweet potato KitKat. This tastes as good as it looks.

#4 HOKKAIDO RED BEAN KITKAT (HOKKAIDO)

Another version of red bean, but this one is made with red beans from the Northern part of Japan.

#5 HOUJICHA KITKAT (KYOTO)

Houjicha is a well-loved roasted green tea that originates from Kyoto, so this flavour is elegantly fragrant and so iconic of the ancient capital of Japan.

#6 ICHIMI KITKAT (SHINSHU)

Don’t be taken aback, because cayenne pepper actually tastes really good on chocolate.

#7 KOBE PUDDING KITKAT (KOBE)

Something like white chocolate, this is one really sweet and custardy treat.

#8 KANKITSU OGON BLEND KITKAT (CHUGOKU SHIGOKU)

Lime, lemon and orange – all in one exhilarating bar.

#9 MATCHA KITKAT (KYOTO)

The classic take on Japanese green tea is the matcha-flavoured ones from Kyoto, but they are usually readily available at other cities (and in Singapore) too.

#10 RASPBERRY KITKAT (OSAKA)

No one says no to these pretty pink bars. They are among our favourite flavours, and the slight tartness never fail to leave us lingering for more.

#11 RUM & RAISIN KITKAT (TOKYO)

Notably one of the most popular flavours, the Rum & Raisin from Tokyo is a decadent treat that has taken the world by storm.

#12 SAKURA MATCHA KITKAT

A spring-time treat that is easily available throughout Japan, this flavour is a blend of green tea, cherry blossom and white chocolate.

#13 SHINSHU APPLE KITKAT (NAGANO)

Nagano produces the finest apples, so there is no reason to say no to these Shinshu apple-flavoured KitKats.

#14 SHOGOIN YATSUHASHI KITKAT (KYOTO)

Or otherwise known as cinnamon cookie KitKat. Mildly sweet, mildly rustic; oishii!

#15 STRAWBERRY KITKAT (KYUSHU)

These Kyushu-styled strawberry KitKats are the classic ichigo ones that can be commonly found in many parts of Japan.

#16 STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE KITKAT (YOKOHAMA)

We can’t get enough of all these cake-turned-chocolate treats. All hail the Strawberry Cheesecake bars from Yokohama!

#17 WA-ICHIGO KITKAT (TOKYO)

Another ichigo variation are these Wa-ichigo ones that are made with the sweetest Tochiotome strawberries. They are more tart than the usual strawberry ones.

#18 WASABI KITKAT (SHIZUOKA)

Who says wasabi is only for sushi and sashimi? The Japanese say you can put them in a bar of KitKat and enjoy the green delicacy, and so, they are hooked to the sweet-hot kick.

#19 ZUNDA KITKAT

There is something so addictive about these edamame and soybeans one that you definitely cannot stop at one.

Source : http://www.ladyironchef.com/2014/11/japanese-kitkat-flavours/

WAGAMAMA

Wagamama is a noodle restaurant inspired by the hustle and bustle of canteen style Japanese noodle bars, but its menu is an unmistakeable blend of pan-asian flavours and the freshest seasonal ingredients from closer to home.

It has more than 100 restaurants in the U.K, Europe, the pacific rim, middle east and USA. Since 1992 its philosophy remains unchanged: to combine great, fresh and nutritious food in an elegant yet simple setting with helpful, friendly service and value for money.

Find your closest shop here http://www.wagamama.com/restaurants

Maguro no zuke Donburi (Soy-Marinated Tuna)

From our yesterday post about MAGURO, why don’t you try to cook yourself at home? with this easy menu ‘soy-marinated tuna’ or Maguro zuke

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

4 3-oz. pieces sashimi-grade yellowfin or bluefin tuna
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. sake
2 tsp. mirin
4 cups cooked sushi rice
Thinly sliced pickled ginger, for garnish
Finely chopped nori (seaweed), for garnish (optional)
Thinly sliced shiso leaves, for garnish (optional)
Thinly sliced cooked omelette, for garnish (optional)
Wasabi paste, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of water to a boil. Working with 1 piece of tuna at a time, submerge tuna in water for 5 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer tuna to a bowl of ice water and chill for 10 seconds. Remove and pat dry. Repeat with remaining tuna. Place tuna in a plastic bag; add soy sauce, sake, and mirin. Seal; let tuna marinate, turning once, at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. To serve, remove tuna from the bag, reserving marinade, and cut each piece into 6 slices. Place 1 cup rice onto 4 serving bowls; top each serving with 6 slices of tuna. Garnish with ginger, nori, shiso, and thinly sliced omelette. Drizzle with reserved marinade; serve with wasabi.

What are maguro and toro?

Maguro (mah-goo-roh) or hon-maguro, is the Japanese term for bluefin tuna, perhaps the best known and most commonly eaten fish in all of sushi dining. Used in many rolls, but often seen by itself, what is now the old stand-by was not always the mostpopular item on the menu. While currently suffering from incredible demand, tuna was, until the 1970’s, a sport fish commonly known as “horse mackerel” and sold to companies for cat food or thrown away. Now, its fatty belly meat, known as ‘toro’ is one of the more expensive items on the menu, prized for its taste, texture, and scarcity. The name “horse mackerel” is now used for the fish called “Aji” (or jack mackerel) as, for marketing purposes, seafood purveyors didn’t want the strong flavor of mackerel associated with the much less oily and fishy tasting bluefin tuna. Tuna has come a long way from being a fish the samurai considered unclean and would not eat, to one of the most popular fish in Japan, and the world around.

Tuna served in restaurants is generally one of two different species, the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), traditionally known as ‘maguro,’ which is usually fairly lean, and the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), known as ‘ahi’ (ah-hee), which is a fattier species. Yellowfin tuna may also be labeled ‘maguro‘ but more often than not, if you see maguro it will be bluefin tuna. Tuna sushi is further broken up into subtypes, based on the fat content.

Akami (ah-kah-me) is the leaner meat from the sides of the fish. If you ask for ‘maguro’ at a restaurant, or order any kind of tuna roll or sushi without requesting ‘toro,’ you will get this cut.

Toro (toh-roh) is the term for the fatty part of the tuna, found in the belly portion of the fish. Toro is further broken up into two distinct subtypes, and they are more expensive due to their relative scarcity as a proportion of the entire fish. The twotypes of toro are:

Chutoro (choo-toh-roh), which is sometimes labeled chu-toro, is the belly area of the tuna along the side of the fish between the akami and the otoro. It is often preferred because it is fatty but not as fatty as otoro.

Otoro (oh-toh-roh), which is sometimes labeled o-toro, is the fattiest portion of the tuna, found on the very underside of the fish. This cut is fatty almost to the point of falling apart and can literally melt in your mouth.

Today, approximately 80% of the world’s bluefin tuna catch is used for sushi, and the species is actually close to being threatened, and due to this, they are becoming more expensive. Toro (and especially otoro) is generally the most expensive item in the menu by weight, and in fact the fish themselves can command record prices. On January 5th, 2001 in Tokyo, a sushi grade bluefin tuna was sold for an astounding $173,600 for a 444 pound fish (which equates to $391/lb). I have personally seen people waiting on the docks ready to buy the catch of those who have spent a day deep sea fishing for tuna. This diverse fish is now one of the most popular items on the sushi menu, but hopefully its culinary success will not be its downfall.

Credit article from Sushifaq.com
http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-sashimi-info/sushi-item-profiles/sushi-items-maguro-tuna/

YO! SUSHI

Good Afternoon everyone ! Any ideas for dinner or afternoon break today? We would like to introduce you an amazing Japanese restaurant that you may easily find in most neighborhood of London and the rest of the UK! ……’YO!SUSHI’

YO! Sushi brought the concept of a Japanese ‘kaiten’ (conveyor belt) sushi bar that delivered food to customers via a conveyor belt, and became the original and most famous sushi brand in the UK.

Choose from a range of freshly-prepared Japanese inspired items such as delicious soups, rice or noodle-based dishes, salads, tempura and hot classics like Chicken Katsu Curry, Salmon Teriyaki or Yakisoba noodles (some of our best sellers). Offering great value for money (dishes range from £1.90 to £5.00) combined with a fun and colourful atmosphere, pop to YO! Sushi to enjoy a slice of TokYO!

If you’re in a hurry, on the way home or fancy something different for lunch, then choose from our takeaway menu for something on the go. From Bento Boxes and salads to hot food to go.

|||| TIP FROM JAPAN NAVI ||||
Today is Monday, Yo! Sushi offering a weekly promotion called ‘BLUE MONDAY’ customer only pay the blue plate price of £2.50 each !

JAPAN NAVI x YOROSHIKU

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