We have a Japanese exhange student who will be coming to stay with us for a week starting tomorrow. My niece who lives currently in Japan said one of her biggest shocks will be the lack of tea here. I’d like to have some on hand for her to make her comfortable while she is staying with us. Of course I know very little about tea other than the typical Lipton bags we use every now and then.
Is there anything that would be more “normal” for her, and/or what types of tea should I look for. She speaks very little English, and we speak NO Japanese.
Any additional tips would also be greatly appreciated.
The tea commonly drunk in Japan is a green tea, not the black tea that’s more common in the west, but similar to the tea drunk in China. You should be able to get something like that in teabags at a large supermarket, or even better at a Chinese grocery if there is one near you.
The Japanese drink many different kinds of tea, but your exchange student won’t expect you to have all of them around the house. I can’t guess what her particular favorite might be, but I’d say the big three tea types to have in mind are green tea, Chinese Oolong tea, and English style black tea.
I’d say green tea is the most popular in Japan, and there are a lot of different varieties available there. However, there will probably be a limited selection at your local grocery store so just see what you can find. I’d recommend against getting a kind that’s green tea plus some other flavor, try to find something labeled just as green tea. Oh, in case you’re ever making a cup for her, the Japanese do NOT put sugar in green tea.
If you can find some Oolong tea then go ahead and get that along with the green. Otherwise, I’d suggest buying some green tea and some black tea, which should be easy enough to find. I’m told that pretty much everyone but Americans scoffs at hot tea made from Lipton bags*, but you should be able to get decent and fairly inexpensive Bigelow or Twinings tea bags at pretty much any grocery store. Since you don’t know what she prefers I’d suggest English breakfast tea as a fairly safe bet.
Thanks everyone so far. I’ve never had green tea, but I’m sure it is available… we have a fairly large Asian community here. I think I’ll just get a wide assortment and see what she prefers.
I know she will be excited about trying different things but want to make sure we have something familiar for her here… and frankly I can’t think of anything else we could easily stock up on that is Japanese. Any other hints on “comfort foods” that we could easily find here and that I may be able to figure out how to prepare would be greatly apprecaiated.
Tea in Japanese is “ocha” (oh-cha).
Rice is a must. Not Jasmine Rice, medium grain calrose rice is closest to what they have there. If your supermarket has an Asian/Ethnic aisle, I really enjoy “Niko Niko” rice. It’s more pricey than the rice you usually buy in a clear bag but tastes wonderful. “Kokuho Rose” is another good Japanese style rice.
One thing that has been mentioned to me by Japanese visiting America is that our portion sizes are MUCH bigger than over in Japan. Hell, one Japanese girl I befriended while she was out here took pictures of our meals when we went out to a restaurant. So don’t be surprised if she doesn’t eat much.
“Sencha”, the most commonly served Japanese green tea, is the one that will make her feel most at home.
But as others (TP) have alluded to, she’s there to experience your culture. So I wouldn’t worry too much about feeding her Japanese stuff.
Because she’s chosen to do a homestay, I’m almost certain that she’s geared herself up for a completely new experience (if this is her first time out of Japan) that she’s just begging to try anything new. It might not seem like it when she arrives because she’ll probably be shy, so just be friendly, and show her around town as much as you can.
I’m Japanese living in the US. Hot drinks are a almost a necessity to me, but it doesn’t have to be any specific type of tea. In fact I’d much rather have regular tea (black tea) from tea bags than the “green tea” sold in American supermarkets. And there’s nothing wrong with Lipton tea bags, I drink it at home all the time. So if she’s expected to make herself comfortable at your home (e.g. help herself to snacks from fridge/pantry), she might appreciate access to a kettle or hot pot so she can make her own tea with whatever tea bags available.
Also, “tea” to me is more than just a drink; it’s an opportunity to sit down, relax and talk. But I suppose that depends on the family environment you grow up in.
That is what I want… something that she can feel at home with and not something we have to make a big production over. Kind of like having a bag of chips on the counter if I was in Japan. We have a tea kettle on the stove at all times so hopefully she will feel comfortable.
A few people mentioned rice, and I need to confess that I usually just make Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice. I don’t have a rice cooker. If I get one of the brands mentioned will I be able to make it on my gas stovetop? I’m a reasonably good cook, but for me I like the Uncle Bens so just usually take the easy way out.
Ideas on where to buy it: I’ve noticed that Cost Plus World Market has a pretty extensive of different brands of teas, from bagged to loose leaf. If there’s one nearby you, think about going there for it.
I’ve no idea which sort of tea the Japanese usually buy, but it might also be worthwhile getting a nice pot and strainer and such as well, in case she prefers looseleaf. It’s really not that much more bother.
Yeah you can definitely cook it on the stovetop. I know for sure the Niko Niko rice has stovetop directions. I, however, am WAY too lazy to do stovetop and absolutely adore my rice cooker.
I wouldn’t try too hard to make Japanese-style rice. Japanese people today are quite used to Western style food.
But if you’re going to vary your cooking to make her feel comfortable, you might consider at least having a recognizably starchy (carbohydrate) item as part of every meal. It can be rice or bread, or it could be part of the main dish (e.g. pasta). Japanese people tend to think of a meal as being made up from two parts: the carbohydrate item, and accompaniment (i.e. everything else). They can be combined in a single dish (sushi, bowl of noodles, etc), or separate.
I second the hot pot (electric kettle). They’re cheap and easy to use and access to one will allow her to make her own tea if she’s inclined. And if you live by an asian grocery you can get noodle bowls you just pour the hot water into, wait 3 min, drain and then mix w/ the provided seasoning.
My Japanese wife loves UFO anf Bagoon brands of yakisoba (sp?) which are available in the Mitsua (Japanese grocery store) around here. Heck my 12 YO daughter would live on the stuff if we let her.
Oh and they’re quicker and easier than microwaving a cup of water plus now you’ve got the whole pot, not just one cup.
Yes, I expect the student is looking forward to eating such mainstays of American cuisine as hamburgers, pizza and fried chicken. Don’t be afraid to offer food like that, since it won’t be completely unfamiliar, though it will be different from similar food served in a Japanese restaurant.
Take her out to different ethnic restaurants too. My friend loved Indian food and my god could that girl pack away food! She ate more than me by a long shot and she was a good hundred pounds lighter than me. Lucky bitch.
Don’t worry, we plan to give her lots of good old MidWest cuisine… just want something for her to fall back on if she wants. She comes in on Friday with the group (about 30 I think) and we will have a pitch in then (could be interesting). Then when she comes to our house I decided to just get what I would if my wife’s family (from Milwaulkee) were coming in… so it is Cheese, crackers, and summer sausage. I also got some chips and dip.
One side of me feels bad as I think I could make something better, but the other side thinks why not show her what we would do if it was a “normal” get together.
Now I’m trying to convince my wife that it is ok to show her what a home with two working parents, three busy kids, and two dogs is like… not like Martha Stewart’s home.
I recently returned from (my first trip to) Okinawa. I was shocked by the number of soft drink vending machines, and the variety of chilled teas and coffees they have to select from! Why, it outnumbered sodas (pop) by easily 5:1. There was a chilled, apple tea a co-worker of mine tried that was pleasing. If you can find some apple-flavored tea bags, maybe you can try to serve some hot…or iced. Just a thought.