ZEN TEA BREW Hosts Freshly Picked Tea Cooking Class at Kikugawa Marugoto Kitchen
dozo Inc. partnered with Kikugawa City to host a cooking class using fresh, pesticide-free new tea leaves. 12 participants cooked recipes designed by nutritionists, exploring a new culture of 'eating tea leaves.'
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 22, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 22, 2026 at 09:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 22, 2026 at 09:36 (5 min after Collected)
On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, a cooking class using fresh tea leaves was held at 'Kikugawa Marugoto Kitchen,' a culinary facility in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
ZEN TEA BREW, a DIY tea-and-alcohol cocktail kit brand (dozo Inc., CEO: Kohei Miura), organized this initiative in collaboration with nutritionists from the Kikugawa City Health Promotion Division. CEO Miura brought fresh new tea leaves picked that morning from a pesticide-free tea garden in Kikugawa, and participants worked together to prepare three dishes that allow for the full intake of catechins, theanine, and vitamin C.
This event was featured on NHK Shizuoka (e.g., 'Tappuri Shizuoka' and 'News Shizuoka 845' on May 20) and SBS Shizuoka ('LIVE Shizuoka' on May 20), demonstrating that the concept of 'eating tea, not just drinking it' is spreading from the tea-producing regions of Shizuoka.
■ Tea is More Than Just 'Drinking'—Morning-Picked Leaves on the Dining Table
On the morning of May 20, CEO Miura picked fresh new tea leaves at a pesticide-free tea garden in Kikugawa and brought them to the kitchen that same day. The recipes were designed by registered dietitians from the Kikugawa City Health Promotion Division. Three dishes were served as fresh tea leaf cuisine that allows for the intake of nutrients without the loss caused by heating during brewing.
■ Recipe Details
- Fresh Tea and Pork Porchetta: Tea leaves, almonds, and parmesan cheese rolled into pork loin and oven-roasted.
- Asparagus and Green Tea Mayonnaise Saute: A Japanese-Western fusion side dish combining the bitterness of tea leaves with soy sauce.
- Tomato and Onion Salad: Chopped fresh tea leaves used in a vinaigrette dressing made with vinegar and olive oil.
■ Comment from CEO Kohei Miura
'The leaves picked in the garden in the morning are on everyone’s plates by the evening. I believe this is a unique experience possible only in a tea-producing area. Kikugawa City is the birthplace of fukamushi (deep-steamed) tea and also famous for blueberries. We are currently working with the city on developing new tea products that combine these two. We plan to fully launch the promotion of fresh tea leaves as an ingredient next fiscal year, and we look forward to a long-term partnership with Kikugawa.' (Kohei Miura, CEO of dozo Inc.)
■ About ZEN TEA BREW
ZEN TEA BREW is a DIY cocktail kit based on Shizuoka tea leaves. By soaking the dedicated tea leaves in your preferred alcohol, you can enjoy original tea cocktails at home. Backed by scientific evidence that alcohol extraction can increase catechin extraction efficiency by up to 140%, the brand embodies the concept of 'enjoying health.'
ZEN TEA BREW, a DIY tea-and-alcohol cocktail kit brand (dozo Inc., CEO: Kohei Miura), organized this initiative in collaboration with nutritionists from the Kikugawa City Health Promotion Division. CEO Miura brought fresh new tea leaves picked that morning from a pesticide-free tea garden in Kikugawa, and participants worked together to prepare three dishes that allow for the full intake of catechins, theanine, and vitamin C.
This event was featured on NHK Shizuoka (e.g., 'Tappuri Shizuoka' and 'News Shizuoka 845' on May 20) and SBS Shizuoka ('LIVE Shizuoka' on May 20), demonstrating that the concept of 'eating tea, not just drinking it' is spreading from the tea-producing regions of Shizuoka.
■ Tea is More Than Just 'Drinking'—Morning-Picked Leaves on the Dining Table
On the morning of May 20, CEO Miura picked fresh new tea leaves at a pesticide-free tea garden in Kikugawa and brought them to the kitchen that same day. The recipes were designed by registered dietitians from the Kikugawa City Health Promotion Division. Three dishes were served as fresh tea leaf cuisine that allows for the intake of nutrients without the loss caused by heating during brewing.
■ Recipe Details
- Fresh Tea and Pork Porchetta: Tea leaves, almonds, and parmesan cheese rolled into pork loin and oven-roasted.
- Asparagus and Green Tea Mayonnaise Saute: A Japanese-Western fusion side dish combining the bitterness of tea leaves with soy sauce.
- Tomato and Onion Salad: Chopped fresh tea leaves used in a vinaigrette dressing made with vinegar and olive oil.
■ Comment from CEO Kohei Miura
'The leaves picked in the garden in the morning are on everyone’s plates by the evening. I believe this is a unique experience possible only in a tea-producing area. Kikugawa City is the birthplace of fukamushi (deep-steamed) tea and also famous for blueberries. We are currently working with the city on developing new tea products that combine these two. We plan to fully launch the promotion of fresh tea leaves as an ingredient next fiscal year, and we look forward to a long-term partnership with Kikugawa.' (Kohei Miura, CEO of dozo Inc.)
■ About ZEN TEA BREW
ZEN TEA BREW is a DIY cocktail kit based on Shizuoka tea leaves. By soaking the dedicated tea leaves in your preferred alcohol, you can enjoy original tea cocktails at home. Backed by scientific evidence that alcohol extraction can increase catechin extraction efficiency by up to 140%, the brand embodies the concept of 'enjoying health.'
FAQ
菊川市で開催された料理教室の目的は何ですか？
カテキン・テアニン・ビタミンCを加熱で失わずに摂取できる「生の茶葉を使った料理」を普及させ、お茶を飲むだけでなく食べるという新しい食の体験を提供することです。
料理教室で提供されたレシピは何品ありますか？
「新茶と豚肉のポルケッタ」「アスパラと緑茶のマヨネーズソテー」「トマトと玉ねぎのサラダ」の計3品が提供されました。
ZEN TEA BREWとはどのような製品ですか？
静岡産茶葉をベースにしたお茶×お酒のDIYカクテルキットです。お好みのお酒に漬けるだけでティーカクテルを楽しめ、アルコール抽出によりカテキンの抽出効率が最大140%向上することが科学的に示されています。
今回のイベントに関わった企業・団体はどこですか？
主催は「菊川まるごとキッチン」で、企画・レシピ提供を菊川市健康づくり課、素材提供および講義を株式会社dozoの代表・三浦弘平氏が担当しました。
三浦弘平代表の今後の展望は何ですか？
菊川市の深蒸し茶と名産品のブルーベリーを組み合わせた新商品の開発を進めており、来年度からは生茶葉の食材としての普及を本格化させる予定です。