In Japan, mugicha (barley tea) is a ubiquitous and generally unremarkable drink, available from every corner vending machine and grocery store. But for Janice Ishizaka, CEO and cofounder of The Canadian Barley Tea Company, the drink¡¯s lack of appreciation represents an opportunity to create a new, healthy, made-in-Canada beverage.
In March 2019, Ishizaka partnered with her sister, Cilla Watkins, to launch mo¡¯mugi ¡ª a brand of organic mugicha made with 100 percent British Columbia-grown barley.
¡°Mugicha is like the poorer younger sibling of (green tea) because it¡¯s so common in Japan,¡± Ishizaka says, addressing the general lack of awareness of mugicha among consumers in Canada. ¡°So I really believe that Japanese companies just never saw it as something interesting to export, or they thought it was already there.¡±
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