Every Japanese green tea is traditionally drunk without sugar.  Adding milk to tea is introduced by Madame de Sévigné in late 17th century, and at the same time, adding precious sugar is a kind of status of aristocrats.  I believe all the tea should originally been drunk without adding anything.

But especially Matcha really matches milk & sugar.  Since 1980's, Matcha ice cream and sweet Matcha beverages like Matcha au lait have widely been accepted in Japan and actually very popular now.  I suppose the sweeten Matcha has huge potential to popularize Japanese green tea for the western people who even do not like green tea.

For flavours, like jasmine and rosemary, I thought Japanese green tea was not suited.  But one of my suppliers has begun to make "Thé vert à la menthe" for French market, and got very good result from the preference survey of 60 people, even me and my wife, Japanese, found it very good.  Now I deal in it as a whole sale product, so if you are a professional and interested in it, please contact me. I will send you a sample.

I have been thinking the balance of the tradition and new style of Japanese green tea for a long time, and now I would like to advance the provisional opinion for it.

• Gyokuro has several style of brewing, but should be drunk straight regardless the way of brewing.
• Sencha and Bancha can be drunk with sugar but milk.  Lemon and honey is also relevant to add to.  But I would like the people to enjoy the original taste of Sencha after getting use to it, especially for the expensive leaf.
• Strong brewed Hojicha can be drunk with sugar and milk, it is like Chai Latte.
• Matcha should be drunk straight in Japanese tea ceremony, as a matter of course.  But it can be drunk with milk, cream and sugar as a casual tea drink.
• Some people say sugar is addictive, and I partially agree with it (but I prefer Coke to Diet Coke anyway).  I do not suppose it is good to drink gallons of sweeten green tea.

I have proposed the tea recipes for drink, cooking, baking, and cocktail.  Please enjoy your cup of tea with your own style.