What is Cha-novese?
Inspired by the classic Italian Genovese pesto made with basil and olive oil, we named this unique pesto "Cha-novese" to highlight its use of tea , cha(茶) in Japanese, as the key ingredient. It's even made with used green tea leaves, known as chagara(茶がら), giving them a new life as a delicious pesto!
Learn more about chagara in our Green Tea Tsukudani Recipe.
What It Tastes Like
This Cha-novese combines the gentle bitterness and umami of tea leaves with the creamy richness of cashews, resulting in a flavorful and aromatic pesto. It's irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients Suggestions
You can make Cha-novese with any used green tea leaves and salt from your kitchen, but here are our recommended favorites.
This kabusecha ,made from the Yabukita cultivar, gives the pesto natural sweetness, umami and bright green color. Kabusecha, or shaded tea, is grown by covering tea plants for about a week, blocking sunlight as the leaves develop. This creates leaves with a deeper green color, less bitterness, and richer umami.
Salt- Amabito no Moshio Gourmet Seaweed Salt by Kamagari Bussan
This salt adds not only saltiness but also natural umami. Beige in color, moshio is made from seawater and brown seaweed. It's rich in minerals such as iodine, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Its mild flavor comes from the natural umami of the seaweed.
Serving Suggestions
This pesto is wonderfully versatile! Toss it with pasta for a refreshing twist on a classic dish. It also pairs beautifully with boiled potatoes or as a sauce for grilled chicken. For a simple snack or appetizer, try serving it as a dip with slices of baguette.
Cha-novese Recipe
Ingredients
Makes 220ml
- Chagara (used green tea leaves) from 20g of dry tea leaves (equivalent to 5 regular steeps in a teapot, 5g per steep)
- 60g roasted cashew nuts
- 100ml olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1/2tsp salt
Instructions
- Use paper towels or a clean cloth to squeeze the chagara well and remove excess water.
- Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Adjust the olive oil and salt to taste. You can start with less salt and add more later if needed.
- Store in a container in the fridge and use within 2-3 days.
Cha-novese is more than just a creative twist on pesto. It's a delicious way to appticiate the full value of your tea. By transforming used tea leaves into a beautiful pesto, you can enjoy a new dimension of green tea while reducing waste in the kitchen. Give it a try with your favorite green teas. Enjoy!
Today's Recommendations
Salt- Amabito no Moshio Gourmet Seaweed Salt by Kamagari Bussan
Recipes with Green Tea
Gluten-free Green Tea Cookie Recipe
