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Soy milk can be used in cooking as well as for drinking, and there are over 50 different flavors available including cocoa, strawberry, and banana as well as more Japanese flavors like black sesame, ume plum, sakura (cherry blossom), and matcha green tea. Soy drinks are a beverage enjoyed by many people in Japan, due to soybeans being a major crop, as well as the prevalence of lactose intolerance among Asians. They are also excluded from the liquor taxes that apply to beer, making them a more cost-effective drink. In the past few years, alcohol-free beers have taken off for those who want to enjoy the flavor and social aspects of drinking beer without any of the side effects, such as high calories or alcohol flush. Sugar or simple syrup is typically added for a sweeter drink. While milk tea is typically made by steeping tea leaves in hot water, then removing the leaves and adding milk or cream to the hot tea, Japanese royal milk tea is made by boiling the milk and tea together. Royal milk tea in Japan, known as milk tea, is different from the milk tea found in other parts of Asia. Canned coffee varieties include everything from black coffee to café au lait and sweetened and unsweetened coffee Royal Milk Tea
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Today, the canned coffee industry is massive with the major beverage brands competing against each other.
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Canned CoffeeĬanned coffee was first invented in Japan and led to the introduction of hot and cold vending machines. Genmaicha can be made or mixed with different grades of green tea, including houjicha (roasted green tea) and matcha. Some people believe genmaicha originated in Kyoto, while others think it came to Japan via Korea, which has a history of drinking roasted rice beverages. The addition of rice gives the tea a less bitter, more rounded, earthy and toasty flavor. Genmaicha is a very popular drink in Japan, comprising green tea leaves mixed with roasted browned rice. Look for it in both the hot and cold sections of vending machines. Mugicha is often enjoyed served cold during the summertime as a preventative for heat exhaustion, but is also enjoyed hot during the wintertime. The drink has a smooth, nutty flavor without any of the bitterness of tea leaves, and is also caffeine free. Mugicha is a tea-like drink made from water infused with roasted barley grains. While the drink fell out of popularity after that, in modern times it has seen a resurgence as a “superfood”, and is also still enjoyed during holidays like New Year’s and the Girl’s Day festival Hinamatsuri. Amazake has been enjoyed in Japan since the Edo era, and was often used to relieve summer fatigue due to its nutritional content. Amazake is either completely non-alcoholic, or the alcohol content is so low that even children can drink it. A Bevy of Beverages: What to Drink in Japan AmazakeĪmazake is a traditional Japanese beverage of sweet fermented rice. Here are some non-alcoholic drinks you’ll want to try on your next trip to Japan. They’re sold in convenience stores, called “ combini”, as well as the vending machines that serve both hot and cold drinks, which dot street corners in even the most rural areas - and can even be found at the top of Mount Fuji. Non-alcoholic drinks such as tea and soda come in a wide variety of flavors and types in Japan, including limited seasonal flavors sold for only a few weeks. Japan is a paradise when it comes to consumer choice, and this extends to everything from the rainbow assortment of candy-colored cell phones available to the numerous beverage options sold year-round.
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