Mugi-cha

When you think of popular tea in Japan, you undoubtedly think green tea (regardless of the type of green tea), but for the first post on this blog dedicated to Japanese tea, I wanted to take a look at something very popular in Japan, yet almost unknown to people living in the U.S.

Mugi-cha means 'barley tea' and is made from roasted barley. The drink is often consumed cold and during the summer time. Throughout most of the Japan, summers are very hot and humid, and cold mugi-cha is considered a refreshing drink. Not as bitter as most green teas, mugi-cha has a slightly sweet flavor at first, followed by a dry aftertaste.

Cold mugi-cha can be found throughout vending machines and convenience stores in Japan. Mugi-cha tea bags used for making cold mugi-cha are also very common in super markets.

Personally, mugi-cha is one of my favorite Japanese teas. I think it is easier to drink than most green teas due to it's refreshment factor, but I have to admit that it doesn't have the depth of flavor that green teas usually have.

Score: 3 out of 5
Color: Light brown
Taste: Sweet to dry, not sour or bitter
Served: Cold or hot (though I have encountered cold mugicha more often than hot)