The Hidden Role of Tea in Sushi Dining
Even if you order beer or sake at a sushi restaurant, your meal will almost always end with a cup of tea. But if you’re going out for sushi, consider drinking that tea earlier, rather than saving it for the end. At sushi restaurants, tea is more than just a simple beverage—it plays an essential role, especially when enjoying fatty cuts like tuna or bonito. It offers benefits that beer and sake simply can’t match.
Why Temperature Matters
One key reason lies in the temperature.
Hot tea helps dissolve the residual fat left on your tongue after eating fatty sushi. This thin layer of fat coats your taste buds like a film, dulling your ability to fully enjoy the flavors of the next bite. Beer and sake, no matter how much you drink, are ineffective at removing this film. But hot tea melts the fat and washes it away, essentially resetting your palate. In that sense, tea serves as a kind of preparation for fully appreciating each new piece of sushi.
Tea’s Antibacterial Benefits
Another reason hot tea is ideal—particularly when paired with raw fish—comes from its antibacterial properties. Tea contains catechins, natural compounds with strong antibacterial effects that can kill many of the bacteria responsible for food poisoning.
Foodborne bacteria are generally divided into two types: toxin-type, which causes illness when bacterial toxins are ingested, and infection-type, which results when live bacteria infect the intestinal tract. Catechins combat both: they neutralize toxins from toxin-type bacteria and destroy the cell membranes of infection-type bacteria, reducing the risk of illness.
Catechins are a type of polyphenol, responsible for tea’s astringency and bitterness. They are especially abundant in green tea, where they account for about 85% of the total polyphenol content.
The amount of catechin extracted depends on the brewing temperature. They are not easily extracted at low temperatures or in cold water but become more soluble as the temperature rises. Brewing tea at 80°C (176°F) or higher maximizes catechin extraction and, in turn, enhances its health benefits. That’s one reason tea is typically served hot—not just in sushi restaurants, but in many other Japanese eateries as well.
The Origin of Oversized Teacups
Here’s another interesting detail: the teacups used in sushi restaurants are typically larger than standard teacups. This tradition dates back to when sushi chefs operated small stands on their own and didn’t have enough hands to constantly refill cups while also preparing sushi. The oversized cups helped minimize refills and keep service efficient.
And to be perfectly frank, there may have been a practical motive as well—if customers fill up on tea, which is easy to drink, they might end up eating less sushi, the main (and more profitable) attraction.
Related contents:
GREEN TEA THAT PAIRS WITH SUSHI
We hope this information will be helpful.
Revision date: June 11, 2025
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