The perfect munchies for tea time or movie night.

I’m going to go out on a very sturdy limb and guess that if you’re reading SoraNews24, you probably know what matcha is. It’s a kind of green tea, right?

Right you are! But did you know that while matcha is part of Japan’s culinary legacy, it’s actually not very popular as a stand-alone drink. That’s because true matcha (as opposed to the milder green tea called rokucha), is extremely bitter, so bitter in fact that it’s usually paired with some sweet snacks to allow the contrasting flavors to harmoniously complement one another.

In recent years, we’ve been seeing Japanese confectioners streamline this process with an ever-increasing variety of matcha-flavored desserts, and now the Japanese division of Frito-Lay, of all companies, is joining the trend with matcha popcorn.

The snack’s creators promise it’ll not only taste great, but smell wonderful too, thanks to being seasoned with tea leaves harvested in Kyoto Prefecture, the heart of classical Japanese culture. Since Frito-Lay’s success wasn’t built on its tea savvy, though, it’s recruited a partner in the project: Itoen, the makers of Oi Ocha, one of Japan’s most popular brands of green tea. There’s more than just matcha to enjoy here, too, as the green tea is enhanced with the sweet, milky richness of a cup of matcha latte, thus earning the snack the official name of Kyo Matcha Latte Popcorn.

This follow-up to Frito-Lay’s sweet mochi popcorn goes on sale January 27 at convenience stores before a February 10 roll-out at other retailers in Japan, priced at 125 yen (US$1.15), roughly the same price as a bottle of hot green tea, which would make an excellent pairing beverage.

Source: PR Times via Entabe
Images: PR Times
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