Okinawa vs. Hokkaido Milk Tea
Hojicha milk tea cappucino
Tea is essential to Japanese culture and the country’s most preferred drink. The Japanese regard it so very that they also have a typical tea ceremony for it! They think the rite creates a bond in between the host as well as the guest invited for tea. At the same time, the tea ceremony brings internal tranquility to both host and visitor.
Aside from its renowned matcha tea, Japan is likewise popular for its selection of milk tea – two of them being the Okinawa and Hokkaido milk tea. The primary distinction in between them is their ingredients. Okinawa milk tea uses a specific brownish sugar from that city, while Hokkaido milk tea uses rich, velvety milk from within its region.
This post will clarify extra on comparing these two kinds of milk tea.
What is Okinawa Milk Tea?
Okinawa Brown Sugar Milk Tea
Okinawa Brown Sugar Milk Tea with Pearls
The Okinawa Milk Tea is a luscious beverage that has a great deal of variants across the world. Remarkably, even the strange bubble tea is an example! Normally, the Okinawa Milk Tea has a sweet and also milky taste owing to its base tea, which is imperial milk tea (a blend that includes even more milk than the typical formula).
Its unique ingredient is the kokuto, a brown sugar belonging to the southern area of Japan. Kokuto is ready definitely contrasted to normal white sugar. It is made by cooking sugarcane juice, a really healthy sugar with a high material of nutrients, without losing taste.
Some individuals also mention that kokuto is the healthiest type of sugar worldwide. Black tea of the best quality (like Assam or Ceylon) is used to prepare this beverage. Okinawa Milk Tea can be appreciated in any manner – warm, chilly, or offered with tapioca pearls in the form of boba tea.
What is Hokkaido Milk Tea?
Bubble milk tea in a plastic cup
Hokkaido Milk Tea is another special Japanese tea called after the area of its beginning. Hokkaido is the second largest island in Japan as well as a renowned tourist area. The Hokkaido Milk Tea, widely called Nidanshi Milk, is a traditional drink preferred among visitors and also citizens alike.
This tea often gets confused with boba or the Okinawa Milk Tea. Nonetheless, what is distinct concerning the drink is its method of prep work. Black tea of top quality (Assam tear or Earl Grey) is utilized with sweetener and also the unique Hokkaido milk, which gives it its luscious flavor.
Milk from Hokkaido is distinct from various other milk as the island gets on the northernmost point of Japan. Furthermore, it has the biggest grasslands and the best climate, making it an all-natural and also healthy area with the cleanest air– ideal for raising livestock. Therefore, the milk from Hokkaido is thicker and creamier than routine milk.
Despite the fact that these 2 are different kinds of tea, Hokkaido as well as Okinawa Milk Tea often obtain confused with each other. Nevertheless, if you are an enthusiast who would certainly want to attempt both these variations particularly, there are methods which you can tell these drinks apart.
1. Methods of Prep work
Both the sorts of tea are ready likewise, yet two specific points established them apart. First, Hokkaido Milk Tea is prepared with special Hokkaido milk in the same way you prepare tea. Nevertheless, with Okinawa milk tea, you cook the kokuto until it becomes much less thick as a sugar before including it to the drink.
2. Taste
Both drinks have remarkable, pleasant flavors when it pertains to taste. They can also be made to taste like each other.
Hokkaido Milk Tea has a rich, creamy texture as well as is very thick because of the top quality of the milk. Since the black tea used for preparing it is additionally the finest, the leaves add a strong, baked taste to the beverage. Overall, you might find the Hokkaido Milk Tea to taste like caramel with a minor tinge of vanilla.
On the other hand, Okinawa tea is additionally generally wonderful, but its taste is dominated by black tea. Although the appearance may likewise be thick, it will certainly not be as velvety as Hokkaido Milk Tea, as the molasses are created by kokuto. You may find the flavor to be slightly toasted in general.
3. Beginning
As suggested by their names, both the beverages are native to Japan. Hokkaido Milk Tea is native to Hokkaido – the second largest Island in Japan, which is renowned for its premium quality as well as quality of the seafood. Okinawa Milk Tea originates from Okinawa – a visitor place well-known for its unique food and coastlines.
4. Price
Both the beverages might have comparable active ingredients, but the rarity of the active ingredients which make them the drinks they are impacts the cost of the tea. Hokkaido milk and also its powder are expensive compared to kokuto, which can be changed by normal brown sugar.
The cost per 8oz cup of Okinawa Milk Tea is around $1.12, while the cost of Hokkaido Milk Tea for the same is $1.88. Therefore, as can be drawn from this details, Hokkaido Milk Tea gets on the extra pricey side.
Putting Milk Into Glass
4. Nutrition
Although both sorts of tea are similar, they use various ingredients native to a specific location, making their dietary profiles various. To assist you recognize the nutritional worth of both these drinks, we have prepared the adhering to table.
NutrientOkinawa Milk TeaHokkaido Milk Tea
Calories294100
Fat 10 g1g
Calcium400 mg313 mg
Carbohydrates110 g33 g.
Cholesterol6 mg0 mg.
From the table, we can obtain that although Hokkaido Milk Tea is sweet. Nonetheless, it is much healthier because of exactly how natural and fresh Hokkaido milk is. Therefore, it is certainly a much healthier choice in between the two.
Last Thoughts.
There is a lot to discover in Japan – specifically when it concerns incredible food. Both the Hokkaido and also Okinawa milk teas are a must-try if you visit the country. You can even try making the recipe at home. These rejuvenating Japanese teas will invigorate as well as de-stress you as well as offset a quick, filling up treat.