My Tea Break

Rediscovering Tea around the world

Category Archives: Japanese Tea Culture


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Sencha Green Tea

Sencha is one of the most popular varieties of Japanese green Teas and definitely one of my favourite Teas. Sen meaning green and cha meaning tea, sencha translates literally as green Tea.

The process by which Sencha  is created differs from Chinese green Teas, which are initially pan-fired. This Tea is gently steamed to fix the leaves and preserve their original green colour before being rolled and dried into a flat needle shape.

Source: republicoftea.com via Amy on Pinterest

Sencha is the most common Tea in Japan, accounting for three quarters of all Tea drunk in the country.  When you drink Tea in a Japanese restaurant  it is likely to be Sencha.  

This Tea  is grown in almost all the Tea producing areas of Japan so the quality can vary a lot depending on the harvesting season and area.

I’ve recently tried a sencha from the Uji area which was delicious. The leaves had a deep green colour with an aroma of fresh grass and perfectly balanced flavour. It had a refreshing and sweet aftertaste with a subtle astringency.

If you’re a sushi fan I encourage you to order Sencha Tea on your next sushi meal! It’s delicious…

Sushi and Tea

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


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Sakura Tea – the cherry blossom infusion

Sakurayu, also known as cherry blossom Tea,  is a traditional Japanese infusion made with cherry blossoms petals. It is a very popular drink in Japanese weddings or other special celebrations because “Sakura” represents “beginning”.

This Tea is made with fresh cherry blossom petals which are pickled in salt and plum vinegar and then dried . As fresh cherry blossoms can be harvested only once a year, Japanese started pickling them in salt and plum vinegar in order to be able to enjoy the Sakura flavour throughout the whole year.

                                                                                      Source: fwallpapers.com via Gosha on Pinterest

There are two ways to prepare Sakura Tea:

Take one or two flowers for each cup of Tea and remove as much salt of the flower as you like before using them. Pour hot water over it and you get a light colored tea. It has a light scent of sakura flowers and an intense flavor of cherry blossoms. Although edible the flowers remaining in the Tea usually are not eaten.

If you want to further remove the salt, it is better to first soak the blossoms for 5 minutes in warm water. You then put one or two flowers in a tea cup and pour hot water on it. Adjust the flavor and saltiness by adding some of the salty water with a spoon.

A common variation is to add a flower or two to green Tea when pouring hot water over the leaves. The result is a naturally flavored green Tea.

Sakura Tea has a subtle flowery scent and flavour with an unusual saltiness. The flavor of these sakura cherry blossoms, being the blossoms and not the fruit, is quite different from the cherry fruit flavor which is common in Japanese cherry green Teas which have cherry fruit flavoring).

If you’ve never had sakura Tea before, be prepared for a wonderfully unique experience!!

Happy Tea Break.

 


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Genmaicha – Brown Rice Tea

Genmaicha, often called “Popcorn Tea”  or “Brown Rice Tea” is a traditional Japanese blend with Green Tea and roasted brown rice. 

Source: teashop.es via Tea on Pinterest

Although there are several versions about the origins of Genmaicha, it seems that it was invented about 90 years ago by a small Tea shop in Kyoto, Japan. The original motivation was to create a more affordable Tea for mass consumption. The reputation of being a cheap tea has stuck with Genmaicha until very recently. It was mostly made with low grade tea leaves from the late harvest (bancha) and the rice was used to mask any off-flavours. Nowadays,  you can find Genmaicha with much higher quality sencha or the addition of matcha and is now consumed by all social classes in Japan and abroad.

Genmaicha has a natural nutty and toasty flavour and aroma and can be served either as a hot or cold drink. It is delicious either way…

Source: teas.com.au via Teas on Pinterest

To brew this Tea you should use spring water (as always!), temperature should be between 70°C and 80°C and infuse between 2-3 min. The Tea leaves do not have to be removed after the first steeping, simply add more hot water after the first cup is enjoyed.

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


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Kukicha Japanese Green Tea

A few months ago I bought this delicious Japanese green Tea – Kukicha- in a shop in Madrid called Bomec - http://www.bomec.es/home.html

Kukicha is a variety of Japanese green Tea. It is quite special as it is made of stems, stalks and twigs of the Camellia Sinensis. Therefore, this Tea is also known as Twig Tea!

Due to this mixture, Kukicha Tea has a very unique and distinctive aroma and flavour. It is light and fresh, mildly nutty and slightly sweet in flavour.

How to prepare the Tea:

  • Water temperature: between 70°C to 80°C (155°F – 180°F). 
  • You can infuse up to four times
  • Infusion times: 1 – 3 minutes

Health Benefits:

  • Low in caffeine, so you can drink it all day long and it is great for those wanting to limit their intake of caffeine.
  • High level of antioxidants, which helps preventing free radicals.
  • Contains proven anti-carcinogens, which aid in preventing and fighting cancer, as well as other diseases.
  • Some studies suggest that it is great for diabetics as helps stabilising blood sugar levels.

Happy Tea Break,

Mariana!


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IPPODO – Japanese Green Tea

A few months ago a friend gave me a gift from IPPODO – a Japanese Tea Co. with a  shop in the centre of Kyoto.

IPPODO Tea Co. was founded in 1717. The Company is well known for its high quality green Teas. IPPODO means “preserve one”, as it is the company´s mission to `forever preserve its tradition of providing high quality tea with a supreme taste.`

Here you can buy all kinds of Japanese Teas – from Matcha to Gyokuro, Sencha, Hojicha and more. They also sell all the necessary Tea utensils.

You can buy their Teas online - http://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/kyoto/shopf/

Shop Contact details, in case you´re in town:                                                                                                              Teramachi-dori Nijo, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0915                       Tel: +81-75-211-3421 / Fax: +81-75-241-0153                                                                        Store hours: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (until 6:00 pm Sundays and holidays)*                                                                                        Kaboku Tearoom: 11:00 am to 5:30 pm*

Have a great weekend, Mariana


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Japanese Tea Houses

The art of drinking Tea was first introduced to Japan in the 9th century. Tea was brought over to Japan by monks who studied in China. Over the centuries, Tea drinking became ingrained in the Japanese culture.

The most well-known historical figure in Japanese Tea ceremony is Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591).  He was the first to emphasize key aspects of the Japanese Tea ceremony  such as the principles of harmony, respect, purity, tranquility which are still central to today’s Tea ceremony practice.

Traditional Tea House in Japan

The place in which the Tea ceremony happens, the teahouse, also helps to elicit these principles from guests. This structure and specifically the room in it where the Tea ceremony takes place is called chashitsu. The architectural space called chashitsu was created for aesthetic and intellectual fulfillment. They are usually small and simple wooden structures located in remote and quiet areas.

Environmental Graffiti listed five modern Tea houses, which includes an inflatable igloo, a tea house on stilts, a cube, a round house and an eco-friendly bamboo hut.

1. Kengo Kuma’s inflatable Teahouse is located in the garden of the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt.

2. Terunobu Fujimori’s  Teahouse on Stilts  sitting high up amongst the tree tops on crooked stilts and Located in Chino, Nagano Prefecture. To get up there, guests must climb a ladder leaning against one of two chestnut tree trunks, remembering to take off their shoes half-way up.

3. Toshihiko Suzuki’s Souan Teahouse is made from aluminum on the exterior, with circular cutouts to allow natural light to enter the room, while rice-papered walls on the inside evoke a sense of calm. This Tea house is located in the architect’s atelier in Yamagata Prefecture.

4.  This Round Tea House built from oak and burnt larch wood in Prague, Czech Republic, was created through a collaboration between David Maštálka from A1 Architects and sculptor Vojtech Bilisic. The round house leads guests to gather around the hearth where the tea is being made.

5. Naomi Darling created this lovely Eco-friendly Teahouse in the woods of Stoney Creek, Conneticut, which features local and recycled materials.

I am already planning the future “Mariana & Tania” Tea House. :)

Happy Tea Break.

Tania

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