It's All About Tea — japanese tea

Mid-May in Japan. Right about now is when tea farmers are busy packing and shipping out the very first green tea harvest of the year. Many wait an entire year to try this first flush tea — shincha. How could they not? The lack of any bitter notes, the undeniable umami, and all the nutrients that the tea bushes have been storing up all winter long. Shincha is well worth the wait! (Read more)

Across the world, cafes, restaurants, and coffee shops are adding matcha green tea powder to their staples. Almost all coffee shops now offer matcha beverages as an alternative to coffee. And why wouldn’t they! Matcha is a delicious, energizing, and healthy Japanese green tea that deserves attention.

So what are the main reasons everyone’s making the switch? (Read more)

Tea (Camellia Sinensis) originated in China. Green tea also originated in China. However, Chinese green tea and Japanese green tea vary quite a bit. From Chinese green tea, which comes in various elaborate shapes and colors, to Japanese green tea, which tends to have a darker green color and small, flat tea leaves after processing. With so many varieties of tea, green tea is still by far the most commonly consumed in both China and Japan. So what are the main differences between Japanese and Chinese green tea? (Read more)

Matcha is always at the forefront of our tea shelf, not just because it's a significant boost of energy and exquisite ceremonial style, but also because it's undeniably versatile!

From tea to lattes, smoothies, cocktails, cakes, cookies, salad dressings, barbecue rubs, soup broths, you name it! Matcha has been used both in cooking and beverages for decades. (Read more)

We all love a cup of hot frothy matcha tea. 

The best thing about it is — as long as you have all the right utensils, it's super easy to make at home. For a small fraction of what you would be paying at a cafe, you can whisk yourself up a cup of hot matcha, iced matcha, matcha latte, or even a matcha cocktail!

So what are the five indispensable tools that any matcha lover needs? (Read more)