Photo/Illutration From left From left: Toshiyuki Kobayashi, manager of tea company Shinryoku Sabo, Koji Kobayashi, president of restaurant Gyugin Honten, and proprietress Yuka introduce a roasted tea that goes well with meat at the Matsusaka city hall in Mie Prefecture on Jan. 31. (Hiroto Motoi)

MATSUSAKA, Mie Prefecture—A beverage company here said it has developed a tea that pairs well with sukiyaki cooked with luxury Matsusaka beef.

Shinryoku Sabo, which specializes in deep-steamed tea, processes and sells tea grown in the Matsusaka’s Iinan district.

When it was planning a collaborative product with Matsusaka beef, Gyugin Honten, a long-established restaurant in the city, offered to organize a tasting event for the project.

Shinryoku Sabo decided on “hoji-cha” tea lightly roasted at low temperatures. The recipe used “karigane” (tea stems) containing catechin, which can clean up greasy residue in the mouth after beef eating.

Tasting events were held at Gyugin Honten in March and September 2024. Staff members provided feedback on its flavor and aroma.

“It was difficult to fine-control the roasting process because the efficacy of catechin is diminished when the tea is deeply roasted at high temperatures," said Toshiyuki Kobayashi, 42, manager of the tea company.

The product is called “Niku-ryori ni au Ocha” (tea that pairs well with meat dishes). A 50-gram package costs 648 yen ($4.40), including tax.

It is available at Shinryoku Sabo stores, Gyugin restaurants and souvenir shops across the city.

The tea is also sold through the teahouse’s online store at: (https://www.shinsabo.com/shopping.html).

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