My day-by-day trials searching new aspects of tea as food ingredients or seasonings could let me find a wonderful way to use fresh first flush Sencha as a seasoning. That is “Cha-Miso”, which means Miso paste mixed with first flush Sencha. This new tea-seasoning goes very well with fishes and meats!

First flush green tea of young tender shoots has softy texture with adequate hardness and fresh grassy aroma. These properties can be harmonized with Miso paste, which is Japanese traditional fermented bean and rice paste.

By blending slightly-wetted first flush tea (after the first infusion) with Miso paste, the mixture can express the fresh grassy aroma derived from tea shoots in addition to the rich umami derived from both of Miso paste. Besides, the unique umami and texture derived from tea shoots can also enhance the flavor and texture of Miso paste.

As we expect, this mixture of Miso paste and first flush tea compliments grilled fishes perfectly.

Furthermore, we can arrange the additional ingredients, for example ginger, chili pepper, garlic, etc.

I tried prepare the other version by using chili-pepper and fresh ginger.
This version can be harmonized with meats.

I’d like to share how to prepare Cha-Miso as follows. It’s very easy.

At first, please enjoy a sip of the rich flavor of first flush Sencha by the bit-steeping style using a special small dish made by Kanet Ota-en, as posted before.

Then we can get a slightly-wetted Sencha.

Then mix the slightly wetted tea shoots and Miso paste with adding a small amount of Mirin liquid. That’s all.

As we like, we can blend the additional ingredients.
For example, I arranged more hot taste by blending fried chili-pepper and sliced fresh ginger as follows.

Ingrediens for Chili Cha-Miso. Sencha of first flush, chili-pepper, fresh ginger and Miso paste. In this time, I used first flush tea finally processed by Shizuoka Japanese Tea Market.

At first, chili-peppers were fied in a little amont of olive oil.

The slightly wetted first flush tea and sliced gingers were mixed with fried chili-peppers.

Then, just blending them with Miso paste.

Hot Chili Cha-Miso.

This hot taste version enhanced the taste of meats very well.

In the case that we have some extra amount of loose leaf of first flush tea, it is the best chance to try to prepare the Cha-Miso.