Food pairing with Jurokucha: Fried foods


Japanese Fried food: Tempura


We’ve all heard of the 80-20 rule. Eat nutritiously 80% of the time and allow yourself to indulge in your favorite guilty pleasures the other 20% of the time. The Japanese approach to diet is balanced like that. However, rather than plan scheduled “cheat” meals, portion sizes of heavy meals in Japan are smaller, and even deep-fried meals are accompanied by healthy vegetables, miso soup, and of course – tea! One of our favorite things to do is pair Juroku Cha with Japanese deep-fried foods since its nutty flavor helps to balance out fattier and high-carb meals. 

3 Japanese fried foods to pair with Juroku Cha 

Take a look at our top 3 food picks to enjoy with this refreshing tea. 

1. Kushikatsu


Japanese Fried food: Kushikatsu


Less known outside of Japan, kushikatsu is a regional dish native to the city of Osaka. It consists of deep-fried meat, seafood and vegetable skewers, that are dipped and cooked in a batter of egg, flour, and panko bread crumbs. Kushikatsu is said to have first emerged and gained popularity with a blue-collar community in the Shinsekai neighborhood as a handy, affordable, and delicious local cuisine in 1929. Fast forward to the present, and kushikatsu is served in high-end and mom-and-pop shops alike, with people travelling from all over the country just to get the authentic Osaka experience. We absolutely love the combo of Juroku Cha and kushikatsu. The tea is easy to sip in between skewers and helps the entire meal go down much smoother! 

2. Tempura


Japanese Fried food: Tempura


We’re betting you’ve heard of this one, or maybe even tried it before! If not, you’re missing out, because tempura is seriously special. Tempura is an assortment of seafood and vegetables deep-fried in a distinctive batter of beaten egg, flour, and cold water. The vegetables usually include Japanese sweet potatoes, kabocha (pumpkin), shiitake mushrooms, carrots, shishito (green peppers), onions, potatoes, and a fritter of vegetables and mixed seafood known as kaki-age. Tempura is most often enjoyed over rice or noodles, and paired with a savory dipping sauce, though it’s sometimes served with matcha salt at classy restaurants. Tempura is one of our favorite dishes to pair with Juroku Cha, since Juroku Cha’s aromatic flavor enhances the crisp and light texture of tempura, without overpowering it. 

3. Tonkatsu


Japanese Fried food: Tonkatsu


If you’re a Japanese deep-fried foodie, you definitely need to experience tonkatsu at least once in your life. It’s one of the most iconic teishoku (set menu) meals, and especially popular with college students, teens, and children. It consists of breaded pork cutlets deep-fried and served with sweet tonkatsu sauce, cabbage salad, rice and miso soup. If you’re lucky, sometimes you’ll come across a katsu-sando (cutlet sandwich), which is tasty and super easy to eat on-the-fly. However you choose to enjoy tonkatsu, you’ll find Juroku Cha a handy accompaniment to your meal. The crisp flavor helps offset the grease and refresh your palate in between bites!


Has all this talk about fried food got you feeling health-conscious? Keep a lookout for our upcoming post on the benefits of caffeine-free tea.