Debate over which drink fits lunches to a T.

Small cartons of milk have long been a quintessential part of school lunches, even in Japan, where milk isn’t quite the widely drunk beverage that it is in some other countries. And it’s a good thing too, as its sweetness and creamy texture hide a great source of calcium, amino acids, vitamin B12, and more.

But as mentioned, it’s not really a standard drink in Japan, so from time to time, there have been experiments with serving something more common for school lunches. In many households, that thing is a pitcher of frosty tea in the fridge, usually barely tea when kids are involved. Its light taste and nutritional benefits make it great for serving with meals or as a way to cool down after playing sports. A lot of kids are also often sent off to school with a thermos of it to stay hydrated throughout the day, because barley tea has no caffeine to worry about, unlike some other teas.

▼ It’s also surprisingly durable, as we foolishly found out.

Tea is so common that a good portion of Japanese cuisine is also designed with a side of tea in mind, and the main reason schools have tried introducing tea into school lunches is that it pairs better with Japanese foods like grilled fish and rice. Some suspected it might be a cost issue, but milk is actually considerably cheaper, largely because of the well-established supply chain that’s been in use since the end of World War II.

A more harmonious meal is what the Fukuoka Board of Education had in mind when they started a trial program of serving tea with school lunches. They began holding No Milk Day once a month, where a meal of Japanese dishes was served with a drinking box of green tea rather than milk at elementary and junior high schools in the city.

▼ I might be reading too much into the kids’ reactions in this news report about a No Milk Day, but I sensed some politely veiled disgust there.

While some students appreciated the way it complemented the food, there was also a fair deal of resistance to it. Some schools reported up to 20 times the number of leftover, untouched tea boxes than that of cartons of milk on regular days, indicating that the more bitter notes of the green tea weren’t winning everyone over.

All things considered, green tea was a bit of an odd choice. A hojicha (roasted green tea) has about half the caffeine of regular green tea, while barley tea is caffeine-free and more in line with the taste of what kids usually drink. Online comments seemed to agree that green tea probably wasn’t the best idea for this program.

“If the tea was sweetened, it would probably go over better.”
“I don’t want to drink much while eating, so milk is good enough.”
“If they served cola, there wouldn’t be a drop left over.”
“Kids only drink barley tea. Just give them milk or juice.”
“Kids usually bring their own tea. They don’t need more.”
“I’m surprised elementary kids even liked milk that much.”
“This sounds like the idea of adults who don’t set foot in a school.”
“They’re growing kids. It’s probably better they have milk anyway.”
“What kid cares about food pairings?”
“Green tea is only good hot. If it’s cold, give them barley tea.”

The Fukuoka Board of Education may have felt the same way and said they will give the option of hojicha or barley tea starting this autumn, suggesting they are also far from giving up.

However, even if it does catch on with the kids, that won’t be the only hurdle to programs like this. In 2022, Shizuoka City, one of the country’s leading tea-producing regions, started a similar program of offering tea instead of milk from time to time. They ended it after a year and a half based on concerns the kids were not getting enough nutrition.

Fukuoka is aware of those concerns as well and said they will try to tailor the rest of the meal to compensate for the loss in calcium and other nutrients. Still, it’s pretty hard to match all the good stuff packed into a 200-milliliter (6.8-ounce) carton of milk at anywhere near the same cost. 

I’d recommend serving milk mixed with the roasted soy bean powder kinako. It tastes great and has a Japanese tinge to it that might go well with certain dishes, even if it didn’t help me regrow my hair.

Source: Nishi Nippon Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, FNN Online Prime, Hachima Kiko
Photos ©SoraNews24
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Salutes to local specialties of Hokkaido, Nagoya, and more now available across Japan.

A lot of the “Japan!” part of McDonald’s Japan’s recent offerings has come from tie-ups with popular Japanese pop culture franchises. And while we’re as happy as anyone about the Chiikawa Happy Meal toys, Gundam-themed sandwiches, and Hello Kitty-themed dessert drinks, the newest arrivals on the menu take inspiration from Japan for their actual flavors too.

The new Gotochi Mac, or “Regional McDonald’s” offerings, start off with a nod to the country’s northernmost prefecture in the form of the Hokkaido Jaga Cheese Teriyaki. With Hokkaido being home to Japan’s largest share of dairies and swaths of potato farmland, this is an enhanced version of McDonald’s Japan’s teriyaki pork patty burger, with a special filling of chunky Hokkaido potatoes and cheese, plus another slice of white cheddar for good measure.

Next comes the Tebasaki-style Black Pepper Juicy Chicken, a salute to one of Japan’s most criminally underrated local delicacies: Nagoya-style tebasaki (chicken wings). Treated with a sweet glaze with a touch of spice and plenty of pepper, this chicken cutlet sandwich lets you enjoy a taste of Nagoya without getting your fingers all sticky.

Then there’s the Hakata Mentaiko Butter Teriyaki, a teriyaki pork burger with cheese and mentaiko, spicy cod roe. A specialty of Fukuoka Prefecture, mentaiko ordinarily has a soft but gritty texture, but for this sandwich it’s mixed into buttery mayo for a creamier consistency.

And for early-risers, the Hokkaido Jaga Cheese Teriyaki also has a McMuffin variant.

Finally, rounding out the Gotochi Mac lineup is a new flavor for McDonald’s Japan’s Shaka Shaka French Fry series, in which you get a seasoning packet to pour onto your fries and shake up in the bag. The newest member of the Shaka Shaka family is Black Curry, the local-favorite type of curry in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. Aside from its darker color (which is really more of a very dark brown), black curry tends to be spicier than other kinds of Japanese curry and also has some bitter notes to its flavor profile, so this should be a unique fry-eating experience.

The Hokkaido Jaga Cheese Teriyaki McMuffin is priced at 410 yen (US$2.65), the other sandwiches at 490 yen, and the Black Curry Shaka Shaka powder at 50 yen (added on to whatever size of fries you’re ordering). The whole lineup is on sale now.

Source: McDonald’s Japan via Entabe
Top image: McDonald’s Japan
Insert images: McDonald’s Japan
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An exclusive doughnut you won’t find anywhere else in the world. 

Krispy Kreme Japan loves to cater to the local market with sweet exclusives, and it zooms in even further by catering to a micro market, with special doughnuts limited to regional stores.

Known as the “Krispy Kreme Premium” series, these regional exclusives were previously limited to select stores in Nagoya, Hokkaido, and Tokyo, with each region having its own lineup, but now there’s a new region getting its very own unique doughnut.

Called the “Krispy Kreme Premium Doughwich“, this style of doughnut is only on the menu at the Amu Plaza Hakata store in Fukuoka Prefecture, located on the island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan.

Available at only one store in the whole country, the Doughwich features Krispy Kreme’s signature fluffy yeast dough, layered with smooth cream and other flavourful ingredients in a luxurious “sandwich style” doughnut. When it was first launched late last year, to coincide with the opening of the Amu Plaza Hakata branch, it came in four varieties.

▼ Clockwise from top left: Original Glazed Whipped Cream & Custard, Cinnamon Apple & Custard, Original Glazed Amaou Strawberry & Whipped Cream, Original Glazed Hakata Mentaiko & Cheese.

With all four being well received by local customers, and popular with visitors looking for a distinctly “Fukuoka” souvenir, the chain has decided to release a new Doughwich for summer.

▼ Setouchi Lemon & Cream

This new  limited-edition summer flavour lets you experience the chain’s chocolate glazed doughnuts with “a “new deliciousness” that highlights the flavour of Steouchi lemons from western Japan’s Seto Inland Sea region. Sandwiched inside the Doughwich is a refreshing Setouchi lemon cream, a sweet yet tart Setouchi lemon sauce, and light and fluffy custard whipped cream. Topped with a dusting of powdered sugar for a touch of elegance, the gentle sweetness of the chocolate and the refreshing tartness of the lemon combine to create a perfect summer flavour.

Refreshingly tart and satisfyingly sweet, the Setouchi Lemon & Cream Doughwich is a new doughnut experience that can only be found at Amu Plaza in Fukuoka, and it will be on the menu while stocks last from 3 June to late September, priced at 486 yen (US$3.05).

Store information
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Amu Plaza Hakata Store / クリスピー・クリーム・ドーナツ アミュプラザ博多店
Address: Fukuoka-ken, Fukuoka-shi, Hakata-ku, Hakata Eki Chuogai 1-1 Amu Plaza B1F
福岡県福岡市博多区博多駅中央街1-1 アミュプラザ博多B1F
Open: 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Website

Source, images: Press release
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