‘Slice of life’ anime introduces you to a world of Japan you wouldn’t otherwise think much of as a tourist. And by anime, I include all the series that are aired in Japan but aren’t exported or become mainstream in Western countries. In fact, I’m not sure there are many, if any, ‘slice of life’ anime series that have become mainstream in Western countries. One of these is mugicha, a tea made from roasted barley that the Japanese (and Koreans) drink chilled in the summer months for its thirst-quenching effect. Another one of these teas is sobacha.

Sobacha is a tea made from roasted buckwheat, the same grain from which soba noodles are made. The sobacha above is Dong Suh Buckwheat Tea and it had a very enjoyable nutty flavour and aroma. Its flavour was akin to soba noodles as expected, but it tastes nothing like liquefied soba noodles (and would be quite gross if it did). It’s also comparable to the Brown Rice Green Tea by Dong Suh, but with a rounder mouthfeel without the slightest astringency and a pleasant slight sweetness. This is a new addition to my list of staple teas – it’s a comforting hot tea that you cosy up with on a cold day or a refreshing cold tea that you’d cool yourself with on a sweltering day.

This Dong Suh Buckwheat Tea contained 25 tea bags. The tea originated in Korea and was purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2015.