It’s Green Tea Time In Honolulu
As the rest of the world discovers the benefits of green, ITO EN introduces a variety of new teas
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Del.icio.usmin C, and rich in natural green tea antioxidants.
Teas come in trendy golden honey, Meyer lemon, Asian ginseng, green apple, Muscat grape and passion orange flavors.
“This is the product that bridges Hawaii’s tropical taste with Japan’s green tea,” Niimura says. “This is the soft landing to introduce green tea to local consumers and to convince them that this is the good stuff to drink.”
The engineer-turned-beverage-guru knows that Americans are still acquiring a taste for the earthy, light tea. But green tea is moving from specialty food stores into the mainstream thanks to its alluringly healthy image.
According to Niimura, a Tokyo native, Japanese people have naturally understood the protective properties of drinking green tea while eating sushi. The anti-bacterial properties of green tea catechin have now been scientifically demonstrated.
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is conducting research into green tea’s cancer inhibiting properties. According to Consumer Reports, “both green tea and black tea trump coffee for protection against cancer, heart disease and possibly osteoporosis.”
What gives tea its super powers? Tea contains flavonoids, naturally occurring compounds that are believed to have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals, which can damage elements in the body and contribute to chronic disease.
“Our goal is to grow green tea in the market,” Niimura states. “Everyone is now trying to sell green tea by changing their package or putting a taste of it in beverages. But we are totally greener by far.”
There is intense competition from western brands, such as AriZona, Lipton, Nestea, Snapple, SoBe, even Starbucks.
“To me, it is a good thing,” says Niimura confidently. “More people become aware of green tea. Eventually, people will turn around and realize there’s not much green tea in the product.”
ITO EN’s green tea is brewed using whole, loose leaves in state-of-the-art tanks. Green tea leaves are steamed immediately after plucking to prevent fermentation. Then the leaves are rolled and dried.
Techniques such as these do not use artificial flavorings, but rather bring out the natural flavor of tea leaves, giving ITO EN a solid position in the market.
As local sales manager Kazu Horisawa expresses it, the fundamental concept is to present the natural goodness of green tea with “complete honesty.” While loose tea, unsweetened green, and energy boosters such as Sencha Shot are popular, a line of sweetened teas is gaining in momentum.
“Consumers need to make a transition from sweet sodas to green tea,” Horiuchi says. “Sweetened tea is the bridge to get there. ITO EN is in the right time and place for this transition.”
This ready-to-drink category is competing head-on with sodas and is expected to grow 8-10 percent rates over the next several years, and might even exceed those expectations with increased marketing investment.
On the basis of the growth realized over the last five years, Niimura and Horiuchi predict that the only hot water the tea industry will encounter will be used to make the world’s favorite brew.
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