mugi-cha

Since this is supposed to be about "cool finds" and not just a restaurant review site, I'll post some things I think are "cool"! One is mugi-cha. Mugi-cha has been called 'barley' tea or 'wheat' tea by those translators in the know. My first taste of mugi-cha was as a student in the summer heat of Hiroshima. My Japanese host grandmother made it the old fashioned way -- by boiling and simmering for an hour or so, the roasted whole grains that came in a long thin cellophane tube. It had such a refreshing taste, and had no need of sugar.

(ew! can't imagine sweetened mugi-cha)

Later I discovered there are 'instant' mugi-cha bags for making quart-sized pitchers at a time. Somehow the smooth viscosity is lacking in the instant, but it still is tasty and refreshing. It is said to be healthy for the liver and gallbladder (scientific reference unknown). It is also caffeine-free.