It's All About Tea — japanese tea

Have you ever wondered what time of year your favorite teas are harvested?
Since tea bushes aren’t grown in greenhouses but are naturally grown in tea farms outside or sometimes even wildly, timing the harvest is of utter importance. With certain teas a crop can only be limited to a few days out of the whole year — if missed, the farmers would have to wait for the next season to produce this type of tea. (Read more)

Every cultivar is unique because it posses its own color, flavor profile, and aroma. Some cultivars are specially cultivated to resist certain plant illnesses and pests that predominate certain areas more than others. (Read more)

If you are a fan of Japanese teas you’ve probably heard, tried, or been recommended to try Gyokuro. So what makes Gyokuro so special?

I must make a confession: incidentally, Gyokuro was the first Japanese tea I’ve ever tried. This was many years back. I went into a tea shop, asked for the staffs’ recommendation and whether I could smell a few different varieties.

After getting a whiff of Gyokuro I had to look no further to what tea I would be trying that day... (Read more)

Yunomi teacups are medium sized tea cups ranging anywhere from 90 to 160 ml. They are the most common used teacups in Japan and can be found in almost every eatery and home. Unlike the chawan which is used for more formal Japanese tea ceremonies, Yunomi cups are used for casual everyday tea drinking. (Read more)

We see this topic pop up a lot. So what really is the difference between culinary and ceremonial grade matcha!?

The most significant difference is that ceremonial grade matcha is made from exceptionally high-quality leaves and as the name suggests, is used almost exclusively for traditional Japanese tea ceremonies or the making of koicha. 

Unfortunately, the common misconception is that culinary grade matcha is of poor quality and thus is reserved for cooking where the high quality doesn’t matter as much. The truth is that good culinary grade matcha is perfect for making a delicious cup of frothy, whisked matcha, matcha lattes, and cooking. (Read more)