[1] Green tea and a conventional iron pot, called a tetsubin (photo courtesy Japanese Green Tea Online). [2] Green tea isn’t necessarily green. It depends on where the tea was grown and production factors (photo courtesy Coffemania | NYC). [3] A conventional sushi plate of nigiri and maki (photo courtesy Takibun). [4] Sashimi (photo Direct Photo). [5] Genmaicha, with toast rice: our favorite (photo courtesy Sugarbird Sweets).

Most of the complimentary green tea served at Japanese restaurants is, not surprisingly, average quality. Even if it’s good tea to start with, it can grow pretty weak due to infusing the same leaves one time to many.

In Japan as well as the U.S., the tea used is often sencha, a basic green tea (approximately 80% of the tea produced in Japan is sencha). It may also be bancha, the second-most-widely-produced tea, more robust and astringent than sencha.

If you want to train your palate to the differences, ask your server to tell you which type it is.

In Japan, the lower down the line the sushi bar is (such as a takeout place), the more likely it is that the tea is agari, a low-quality, powdery tea—which should never be confused with to the pricey powdered matcha, to which it has zero relation.

The variety, known as konacha or kona-cha, is a mix of the residual dust, fannings, leaf particles, and bits of stem broken off during the processing of quality teas, like gyokuro or sencha (paradoxically, it’s low-quality tea from high-quality leaves). Konacha has a bitter taste, said to complement the flavor components of of sushi very well.
 
ENJOYING GREEN TEA WITH YOUR SUSHI OR SASHIMI

If you don’t like the green tea that is served with your raw fish, consider that it may be the particular green tea, and not an indictment of the entire green tea category. As with any product, those at the top end can be glorious. They just may not be available where you eat your sushi.

In New York City, where we enjoy thrice-weekly sushi meals, it’s very rare that we get anything resembling a satisfactory (much less a good) cup of tea unless we’re at a very high-end restaurant. While our everyday sushi is excellent quality, the tea quality never measures up to the fish. We wish we could pay for better tea, but it’s not the Japanese way.

That being said, any green tea served, no matter how bland, goes well with the raw fish.
 
Trending At Asian Fusion Restaurants

Some Asian-fusion restaurants we patronize don’t give any tea away, but will sell you pots of tea.

We respect that: Profit margins in restaurants are notoriously low, and since we’d rather have tea with our sushi than [higher profit] beer, we have no problem paying for it. You’ll get higher quality than with freebie tea, abut it still may not be sublime, depending on available varieties and your palate.

Only once in a blue moon do we find our favorite green tea to pair with sushi and sashimi, genmaicha (photo #5), at a restaurant. This lively green tea, a base of sencha, bancha or a combination of both, is blended with earthy roasted rice or popcorn. You either love it or not; but for us, it’s green tea happiness.
 
Should You Pay For Tea?

Our tip of the day is: If your restaurant offers a cup of better tea at a price, don’t hesitate to try it. It’s a modest sum compared to the price of the sushi (or a beer). It could be good and worth it; or you don’t have to order it again.

We’ve been to chic restaurants (Asian and Western) that have a tea menu. Ideally, this should be top-quality loose tea. Some even bring out a fancy wood box that holds different bags* from which you choose.

It’s a step in the right direction, but we often find that these teas—which are from specialty American purveyors—are not assertive (flavorful enough). While some people may like that milder style, we want full-flavor tea.

Don’t let the box, or silky tea bags, convince you that this is top green tea; or think that the tetsubin, the traditional small, cast iron tea pot, makes the tea any better (more aesthetic, yes; better-tasting, no).

Again, you don’t know until you try.

If you’re a tea fan as well as a sushi fan, what can you do to ensure that the tea is at the level as the sushi?

In foodie desperation (and not wanting to insult the restaurant), we thought to sneak good green tea into our local restaurant, to augment the tea we purchased. Then, fearing that we would, in fact, insult them if discovered, we asked if they would mind if we added some of our own tea to theirs—or if they wished, take our tea, add hot water, and charge us the same as their tea.

This was not a difficult ask, as we brought genmaicha, green tea blended with toasted rice or popcorn (photo #5). It’s an easy excuse to claim one’s love of genmaicha with sushi.

The other option was ordering in (i.e. delivery)—a less aesthetic experience, but one which guaranteed our choice of tea.
 
AN OFT-ASKED QUESTION ABOUT RESTAURANT GREEN TEA

Why is the tea served in sushi restaurants so hot?

It’s often so hot that we can’t pick up the cup without using a napkin to protect our fingers. We laud the servers who bring it to us with no such protection.

The answer:

The very hot water and green tea both work to cleanse the palate and remove the natural oil reside that can be left behind by the fish. You may not notice them in your sushi or sashimi, but they’re there.

Green tea, which is the norm in Japan, has more astringency than other tea types (black, oolong, white). This makes it even more effective to cleanse the palate.

As one navigates through an assorted plate of sushi or sashimi, the subtle flavors of each type deserve appreciation.

 
IF YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR TEA, WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

The tea should not be overpowering or have a flavor/aroma that could dominate the fish: never a flavored tea! Much as we like jasmine tea, the floral aroma and flavor detract from the delicate raw fish.

We would pair what the restaurants serve, but the best quality we can get:

 
For more robust, richer, cooked foods in Japanese restaurants, such as teriyaki, shabu shabu, negimaki and yakisoba, go for a more robust tea.

A popular pick is houjicha, bancha leaves and stems that have been roasted. It’s smooth, with hints of coffee and roasted barley.

Tea and sushi lovers: Go forth and conquer.
 
 
DISCOVER LOTS MORE IN OUR:
SUSHI GLOSSARY
TEA GLOSSARY

Most store-bought burger rolls are pretty blah: a form of white bread used to hold the burger.

Earlier, we suggested 25+ alternatives to the burger bun, from baguette to brioche to pretzel roll.

Even when the roll is special, it begs the question: Does the bread serve any purpose other than enabling utensil-free eating?

We love good bread: At a top restaurant, we’d rather have the bread than the meat. But over the years we’ve found that it doesn’t add to the burger experience. Even the best bread gets soggy with all the condiments and burger juice.

Drumroll: Today, we suggest burgers without the bun—at least, without a bread bun.

The original hamburger steak served in the U.S., essentially the Hamburg steak from Hamburg, Germany, was served on a plate with a fork and knife: no bun (here’s the hamburger history).

So how about going bunless—or rather, breadless?
 
 
NON-BREAD BUN ALTERNATIVES

Whether gluten-free, low-carb or paleo, we’ve seen every burger bun substitute imaginable, from homemade cauliflower buns to potato pancakes.

Alternatives To The Burger Bun

Look to different vegetables:

 
For the “other grilled vegetables,” look for the widest eggplant, potato or zucchini. You may be able to find one that can be sliced to hold an average burger.

Otherwise, you may end up with sliders.

TIP: While bread buns keep your fingers clean, the lettuce leaves do the same (at best a bit of water residue). If you don’t want to touch the oil-brushed grilled veggies, the solution is simple: an open-face burger with a knife and fork.
 
 
TASTY TOPPINGS

We enjoy trying new burger toppings. These work whether you serve conventional buns or the “vegetable buns” above.

You can start with your favorite condiments (ours are curried ketchup*, sriracha mayo* and sweet and savory pickles).

 
SLAW ALTERNATIVES

If you call yourself a foodie, bypass the commercial cabbage slaw with a few flecks of carrot, dripping with diluted mayonnaise. Instead, go for a homemade slaw. If you don’t have time to make it, assign one or two recipes to someone else.

[1] Trade the bread for lettuce leaves (photo courtesy Burger Fi). [2] For onion lovers, a double-onion burger with raw and caramelized onions. [3] A tropical burger. Use two slices of grilled pineapple instead of the bread. Here’s the recipe from Fit Views. [4] Spell it portabella or portobello, it’s a delicious bread substitute. Here’s the recipe from Sew Lets Cook. [5] Grilled eggplant as a bun (photo courtesy Our Four Forks).

Are the halved breads that surround hot dogs and hamburgers properly called rolls or buns?

There is no official difference, meaning that there are no specific USDA standards. Both rolls and buns are single-serve breads, and the USDA only stipulates that buns and rolls weigh less than one-half pound. (Loaves of bread, on the other hand, must weigh one pound or more).

Manufacturers and retailers use whichever term they want. However, the American Institute of Baking uses this distinction

 
It is true that “burger bun” rolls off the tongue more easily than “burger roll.” But the more accurate term is roll.

Just for the record.

________________

*Just mix the seasoning into regular ketchup or mayonnaise to your desired intensity.
  

[2] If you’re buying new molds, we prefer “groovy” ones like this style, from Tovolo. The pop is bluebery-yogurt; hence, a lighter color than the pure, puréed berries in photo #1.

[3] No molds? Use a loaf plan and slice the pops! Here’s how from Lynne at And Then I Do The Dishes.

If you have no plans this weekend, consider making something fun—like red, white, and blue ice pops.

The vivid colors in these pops (photo #1) come from berries, strawberries, and coconut milk. The berry purées can be made using either fresh or frozen berries.

Simply de-stem, wash and pat dry the fruits; then purée in the food processor [need we add, purée separately?).

If you’re serving them to a sophisticated crowd, you can get creative with herbs and spices, e.g.:

 
You don’t want a hodgepodge, so flavor only one layer. Our personal favorite: heat in the red layer.

If you don’t want to use coconut milk, substitute plain or vanilla yogurt. If you use vanilla, don’t add additional sweetener.
 
 
RECIPE: RED, WHITE & BLUE ICE POPS

Ingredients For 10 Ice Pops

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the simple syrup: Bring water and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved and let cool.

2. ADD 1 tablespoon of simple syrup to each of the purées and the coconut milk. Stir well. Fill molds 1/3 of the way with the strawberry purée. Place the lid on the mold and and the wood sticks, letting them protrude about 1/2 inch above the top. Let freeze 40-50 minutes or until somewhat firm.

3. REMOVE the lid of the mold and fill compartments another third of the way with the coconut milk mixture. Replace the lid, making sure all of the sticks are in place; freeze another 40-50 minutes.

4. REMOVE the lid and fill the compartments with the blueberry purée. Replace the lid and freeze completely, at least 8 hours or overnight. When ready to serve…

5. RUN cool water over the sides of the mold and carefully loosen each pop by gently pulling on the handle or the stick. Remove all pops. If not serving immediately, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag.

A friend saves small yogurt cups for this purpose; but if you haven’t planned ahead, you can use small paper or disposable plastic cups.

You can also use a loaf pan (photo #3) and slice the pops.

Don’t forget the wooden sticks!
 
 
ICE POP VS. POPSICLE

Popsicle® is a trademarked name owned by Unilever’s Good Humor Division (here’s the history of the Popsicle and the Creamsicle®).

Everything else should be called by the generic term, “ice pop.”
 
 

We love a DIY bruschetta bar. Just rub the bread with garlic, brush it with extra virgin olive oil, grill, and place the slices on a platter along with all the fixings.

Even easier, brush the bread with garlic olive oil! You can buy it, or infuse your own in advance by dropping halved garlic cloves into a cup of olive oil (or however much you think you’ll need). Any leftover oil can go right into a vinaigrette.

Bruschetta originated in the Tuscany region of Italy, where it is commonly served as a snack or appetizer. It may have been the original garlic bread.

Plus, we have our own invention dessert bruschetta, below.

BRUSCHETTA VS. CROSTINI: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

There are two factors:

 
Bruschetta slices are larger, three or four inches in diameter) and grilled. Crostini, cut from a ficelle, a thinner baguette about two inches wide (the word is French for “string”).

You can use bread of a different diameter; but if it isn’t grilled, it isn’t bruschetta.

Here’s how to remember the difference:

 
Note that some American manufacturers and others in the food industry misuse the term, selling jars of “bruschetta.” To be accurate, it should be labeled bruschetta topping). Bruschetta is the grilled bread, not the topping.

RECIPE: DIY BRUSCHETTA BAR

The simplest bruschetta topping is salt and pepper (i.e., seasoned garlic bread), but that’s for a bread basket.

Almost any cheese, fruit, meat, spread or vegetable can be a topping. Toppings can be cooked, marinated, pickled, raw or smoked.

For a DIY bar, offer at least three different toppings. We like everything, so tend to go overboard: Our toppings look like a buffet. Regarding bread, we prefer a crusty sourdough or rustic loaf.

 
Along with the bread, make sure you have fresh garlic and check your olive oil for freshness.

Ingredients

 
For The Toppings

 
 
More options: shredded mozzarella or other cheese such as thinly-sliced Brie, fish (we have a passion for anchovies and herring salad on bruschetta), other marinated vegetables, mostarda.

We also like eggplant caponata, pesto and sautéed mushrooms, but tend to use them more in cooler weather.

[1] Who needs a burger? We’re heading for the bruschetta bar (photo courtesy What’s Gaby Cooking).[2] Buy bread that has a pretty solid crumb (photo courtesy The Stone Soup). [3] This loaf is beautiful, but not for holding toppings (photo courtesy Bake Street). [4] A bruschetta bar from Countryside Cravings. [5] Dessert bruschetta, here with goat cheese (the recipe from Emily Bites). We use mascarpone.

Preparation

1. SET out the toppings and teaspoons for serving. We use ramekins; you can use any bowls you have.

2. SLICE the bread from 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick. Rub each side with cut garlic clove and brush each side with olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill to your desired toastiness.

3. PLACE the bread on a platter next to the toppings and watch people create their appetizers.
 
 
DESSERT BRUSCHETTA

Most people won’t have seen dessert bruschetta. We don’t know if we invented it, but our sweet tooth gave us the idea years ago.

Start with a loaf of bread with dried fruit, such as cherries or raisins. For toppings: