It's All About Tea — japanese tea

Tea has been a staple in Asian culture for centuries, with various types and flavors that vary from region to region. The popularity of Chinese tea has long outgrown its borders as entrepreneurs introduced tea seeds and plants to other Asian countries. That led to the production of Chinese tea types in other countries.

In today's blog post, we'll explore some of the most popular varieties of Asian tea produced in some of China's neighboring countries. We'll explore the production specifics that vary by each country, and some teas with unique profiles, that stemmed from these bold experiments. We can even offer you some of them in our tea store, too, so make yourself a cuppa and let's dive in! (Read More)

When you want to make your matcha in the traditional Japanese style, it's essential to invest in a proper Japanese tea set. A basic tea set will include a chawan (matcha bowl), chasen (matcha whisk), and chashaku (matcha scoop). If you want a complete Japanese tea set, however, you should also get a furui (tea sift), and a kusenaoshi (chasen holder). By the way, this is only if you want to enjoy matcha at home, casually. If you're going to make matcha as per the ways of Chado, you need much more equipment. So, if you want to make a proper bowl of frothy green matcha, if nothing else, you should always have quality matcha tea powder and a chasen. So how do we take care of the matcha whisk to ensure its longevity for years of umami-rich tea bowls to come? (Read more)

We've talked about the inception of Japanese tea many times before. From tea's journey to Japan to modern-day tea practices. For example, iced matcha recipes. Believe it or not, Japan's elite class did not drink iced oat milk matcha lattes in the Edo period. Anyhow, today, we are shining a light on Uji, Kyoto, where Japanese tea was truly born. (Read more)

Out of the different types of Japanese green tea, Tamaryokucha is often left in the shade. Indeed, it's not a very common type of tea, comprising only 3% of all Japanese tea production. However, if you are a Japanese tea enthusiast, trying Tamaryokucha is a must. (Read more)

In the past, we have written about a very popular Japanese concept mottainai. Literally translated as “what a waste!” it is actually more of a life philosophy. Following the philosophy of mottainai, we make sure that everything gets used to the fullest. Nothing gets wasted. Perhaps, this is where Japanese green tea over rice comes in, otherwise known as Ochazuke. (Read more)