When you hear of Aomori, the first thing that comes to mind is their apples... So no wonder my sister insisted I bought her the Ringocha, as they are called, from Aomori.
It was not easy to find. The company, Macure House is based in Aomori. This prefecture is the northern most prefecture and city on the main island of Honshu. Using the Shinkansen Bullet Train, it takes slightly more than 3 hours to get from Tokyo to Aomori. I have only been to Aomori once back in 1999.
I had tried to buy it online but Amazon Japan does not fulfill overseas orders. After much searching, I managed to find the company's website (macure house) and I wrote to them hoping to know where the retail points are in Tokyo.
While there were three retail shops in Tokyo, I went to 2 but they did not have any in stock... that's how popular they are. So, I wrote to the brand again hoping they would do delivery. Surprise surprise... they do. And they were willing to make delivery to my hotel. When I arrived at my hotel, the package was already delivered and waiting for me - that kind of service level is first class.
When you open the packet, there are 5 tea bags per packet (not individually wrapped) but the packet has a seal to keep the team bags fresh. What you can see from the tea bags are bits of dried apples smelling ever so sweet.
There are two ways to enjoy the tea - as a hot tea or cold brew.
The recommendation is to add 200ml of 90 degrees (Celcius) to one tea bag and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. I did just that for my hot apple tea and the drink was everything I had expected it to be.
Sweet, aromatic and fruity. The apple bits are natural and caffeine free. It can be enjoyed hot or cold, making it a versatile beverage for any time of year.
As stated on the packet, the tea is additive-free, pure Aomori apple tea.
I tried the hot tea and we liked it - and if you like, you can also open the bag and eat the apple bits too. Next to try the cold brew method. Leave a bag in 200ml of water and leave it in the fridge for about 8 to 10 hours to fully extract the apple taste - nice summer drink!
I have to say that the service provided by Takahashi-san was exemplary. They were very trusting when it came to payment. The package came with a payment slip which I brought to a convenience store to make payment. It was made so simple and I guess I will be buying these again when I return to Japan next. Thanks Macure and thanks Takahashi-san!
No comments:
Post a Comment