I’ve been drinking a lot of black tea lately, so I thought I should switch to a green blend for this morning’s cup. And mmm, Momoko is a favorite of mine… Super creamy with loads of vanilla, complimented by gentle peach notes. I can smell the peach more than I can taste it, but it’s there— it lends a juiciness to the vanilla that’s really distinct and delicious. (And no need to add sugar. There are sugar crystals already in the tea!) When I first tried this blend, I was surprised at how well the sweet flavors complement the green tea base. The base is pretty vegetal, like a lot of Japanese greens. But when I steep it quickly (two minutes max, preferably less), I don’t seem to get any bitterness in my cup, just that buttery vegetal note you get with nice sencha. There’s a powdery mouthfeel, and particles do tend to settle on the bottom of the cup, like with a lot of Japanese greens. (On a side note, I’ve been partial to flavored greens lately, for some reason… Straight greens don’t excite me as much as they used to. Maybe because I’ve been discovering so many tasty black teas and oolongs!)
I used to drink Bigelow’s peach green tea (the bagged kind) almost every night, back when I didn’t know anything about loose leaf. For me, Momoko is like the fancy version of that tea, with a major upgrade in quality and lots of added creaminess. Yum! I have to say, Lupicia really nails it with their fruit flavors, in my experience. Anyone who enjoys fruit in their tea (especially apple, peach, mango, and passionfruit) should give them a try.
