Goya Tea

Healthy herbs, rooibos, honeybush, decaf tea, and yerba mate.


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Oct 11th, '10, 01:43
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Goya Tea

by sanamionline » Oct 11th, '10, 01:43

I was in a small coffee shop in Beppu, Oita Japan one day mostly to check it out to see if it would be a good place to display my work. I didn't want to drink coffee so the owner offered me goya tea. I knew what goya was - bitter gourd used in stir fries, and fresh in salads. Goya is the Okinawan name (southern Japanese island).
But as a tea? I knew it was quite bitter for those who are not used to it but now I really like it and don't think it is bitter. However, goya tea is goya dried and then roasted and then infused in hot water for a tea that is not bitter at all. If you have ever tried mugicha (barley tea) then it is similar.
Now in Southern China, I decided to give goya tea a try since goya is very abundant here. I sliced up a few and dried them then roasted them. You have to be very careful when roasting them because the dried goya is very combustible as I have experienced! The first batch burst into flames in the fry pan :lol:
I also found it interesting that goya tea is marketed as "Goya Tea" and sold in the local supermarket here! :o

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Oct 12th, '10, 13:40
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Re: Goya Tea

by rabbit » Oct 12th, '10, 13:40

Sounds interesting, I like mugicha so I would be willing to try the goya tea... around were I live "goya" is a brand of latin food/drink.

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Oct 17th, '10, 07:30
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Re: Goya Tea

by sanamionline » Oct 17th, '10, 07:30

interesting I wonder what "goya" means in your area of the world?

Oct 18th, '10, 00:23
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Re: Goya Tea

by Kunkali » Oct 18th, '10, 00:23

I don't know...I use their coconut milk in a can in cooking

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Oct 18th, '10, 15:03
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Re: Goya Tea

by rdl » Oct 18th, '10, 15:03

sanamionline wrote:interesting I wonder what "goya" means in your area of the world?
the founders of the company are originally from spain, and i assume the man in the top hat on their olive oil label is to look like the self portrait by the spanish painter, goya.
that's my guess.
i would like to taste the goya tea you are preparing. apart from the taste, what kind of effects does it offer?

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Oct 19th, '10, 09:01
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Re: Goya Tea

by sanamionline » Oct 19th, '10, 09:01

I see so goya is a persons name in spanish.
anyway back to goya or bitter gourd, it is traditionally used in dishes from stir fries to raw in salads in warmer climate regions as a health food as an
aid to digestion but I drink it any time I feel like it. Raw some people will find it bitter but as a tea not bitter at all and has a similar taste to mugicha (roasted flavor).

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Oct 19th, '10, 11:19
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Re: Goya Tea

by rdl » Oct 19th, '10, 11:19

it didn't occur to me that what you are refering to is what we call bitter melon. i eat it all the time in soup, and/or with scrambled eggs. but never as tea. i do find it curious that the tea is not bitter as you wrote, but you roast it so maybe that is what is changing the taste. i do enjoy roasted corn or barley tea, so i should try goya tea. thanks for mentioning something new.

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Oct 20th, '10, 01:09
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Re: Goya Tea

by sanamionline » Oct 20th, '10, 01:09

just be very careful when you roast it!! it combusts very easily - slow and low heat :D

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Oct 20th, '10, 01:12
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Re: Goya Tea

by sanamionline » Oct 20th, '10, 01:12

Some other names for Momordica charantia:

bitter melon, bitter gourd in English
苦瓜:kǔguā, in Mandarin Chinese
Karela/Karella in India,
Ampalayá from Tagalog,
Cerasee (Caribbean and South America; also spelled cerasse)

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