More convenient than a tea bag, and with less trash to throw away too.
Green tea isn’t just one of Japan’s favorite drinks, but also one of its favorite dessert flavors. So when you first see a pack of 1, 2, Cube, you might assume it’s the latest matcha chocolate confection to grace Japan’s convenience store shelves.
But as mouth-watering as these green-tea cubes may look, they’re not to eat, nor are they sweet. That’s because 1, 2, Cube, which is made by Coca-Cola Japan, isn’t a snack, but the means to make yourself a cup of green tea.
All you have to do is drop the cube into a cup of water and wait for it to dissolve. If you’ve got a stirrer/swizzle stick you can give it a few stirs, or alternatively you can give your cup or drink bottle a few good swirls.
The cube doesn’t completely melt away to nothing, but the few remaining flecks are evocative of tea leaves, and lend it a certain classy air.
Green tea is a drink that can be enjoyed both hot or cold, and 1, 2, Cube fittingly works with both hot and cold water.
Unlike with a tea bag, there’s no trash to worry about throwing away later, and instead of individually wrapping each cube, they come in a resealable pouch that’s compact enough to easily carry in your bag so that you can make yourself tea whenever and wherever you want to.
One cube is for making one cup, with the suggested amount of water being between 200 and 400 milliliters (6.8 and 13.5 ounces), depending on how strong you like your tea. On the smaller end of the scale, you’ve got rich and strongly bitter notes to sip and relax with, while 400 milliliters gives you a lighter, more refreshing taste to gulp down when you want something to quench your thirst.
1, 2, Cube is priced at 600 yen (US$5.80) for a pack of 15 cubes, and Coca-Cola Japan is also offering a mugicha (barley tea) version just in time for the start of summer.
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