Jūrokucha
Jūrokucha (十六茶) is a blended tea drink produced and distributed by Asahi Soft Drinks in Japan. The drink was originally created and sold by Chanson Cosmetics as a dry blended green tea.[1] Beginning in March 1993, Chanson and Asahi Soft Drinks released Jūrokucha as a joint venture premade beverage.[2] In February 2007, the packaging and flavor was updated.[3]
Description
[edit]Jūrokucha literally means "16 teas,"[4] and the drink is a blend of sixteen teas (from leaves, grains, and fruits): Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen, barley, kuromame (black soybeans), brown rice, habucha, mulberry leaves, jiaogulan, kombu, lingzhi, sasa veitchii, persimmon, sesame, mikan peel, eucommia, black rice, and perilla leaves.[5][user-generated source] All of these contain dietary fiber (mostly indigestible dextrin), and the drink is considered a designated health food in Japan.[4] A decaffeinated version is also available.
Promotion
[edit]The drink is sold as "Jūrokucha with your meal" to emphasize its healthfulness.[4][6] The drink is promoted as especially helpful to diabetics who wish to control their sugar levels after a meal due to the sugar-suppressing ingredients contained in it.[4] Celebrities who have appeared in commercials for the health drink include Yūki Amami, Satomi Kobayashi, Izumi Inamori, Koji Uehara, Tomoko Tabata, Norika Fujiwara, and Mikako Ichikawa.
Impact
[edit]Due to the popularity of Jūrokucha, several other companies have released similar products. Kyushu Railway Company released a product called "Nijūyoncha" (literally "twenty-four teas"),[7] Sangaria has a drink called "Nijūitcha" (literally "twenty-one teas"),[8] Coca-Cola distributes a drink called "Sōkenbicha" which has 12 teas combined,[9] and a Korean company distributes a drink blended from 17 teas.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ シャンソン化粧品 十六茶 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2007-03-17. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ アサヒ「十六茶」 (in Japanese). The Archive of Softdrinks. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ "The War Comes to a Boil: Chinese Green Tea Arrives on the Scene". Japan Information Network. 2002-05-10. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ a b c d Yamaguchi, Paul (2006-06-16). "Japan's Nutraceuticals Today: Functional Foods Nation (2)". NPI Center. Archived from the original on 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ 十六茶 (in Japanese). Hatena Diary. Retrieved 2007-01-17.[user-generated source]
- ^ "アサヒ飲料 十六茶 食事と一緒に十六茶" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ 二十四茶 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ サンガリア - 商品情報 - おいしい二十一茶 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ 爽健美茶 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ 음료제품 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2007-02-23. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
External links
[edit]- (in Japanese) Asahi Soft Drinks: Jūrokucha
- (in Japanese) Chanson Cosmetics
- (in English) USA Juroku Cha