It's All About Tea — tea ceremony

In this blog post, we're touching on an important part of the whole tea experience: Cha Xi, or Tea Space. Setting up a harmonious space is a vital element in the experience of tea. It also helps us reach a calm, meditative state, where we can appreciate the moment and enjoy living in the present. 

We'll talk about the history of the Tea Space ("Tea Mat") and the pursuit of the beauty hidden in detail. We'll then review its essential elements and how to use them to arrange our tea space. So, grab a cup, and let's take our tea experience to the next level! (Read More)

Tea is the beverage we choose when we want to unwind and feel rejuvenated. Coffee may be the energy drink that gets us going in the morning and powers us when working through the night. Tea is more than just a calming brew, whether black, green, white, herbal, hot, or icy cold. It could be a ritual, a social or cultural event, or even a spiritual practice.

Tea customs across different countries give us a unique insight into the cultural landscape of their peoples. They highlight the dominating social values and their evolution over time. Let’s embark on a colorful journey across the continents, discovering the tea ritual and sharing a cup of tea with the world! (Read more)

Have you ever heard about Chabana before? It’s similar to Ikebana — Japanese flower arrangement. However, Chabana (茶花) is a flower arrangement explicitly done for tea ceremonies. Cha meaning tea, and bana meaning flower in Japanese. (Read more)

Gong Fu Cha (工夫茶), or Gongfu Tea, is a Chinese way of brewing tea with a small vessel, a generous amount of leaves, and many short infusions. Instead of making one large pot, you brew the same leaves again and again, watching the flavor change from one steep to the next.

The name is often translated as “tea made with skill” or “making tea with effort.” In practice, it means paying attention to teaware, the water, the timing, the changes in tea, and how the tea makes you feel.

Compared with Western-style brewing, Gong Fu Cha uses more leaf and less water. A session may begin with a 5–10 second infusion, then continue for many rounds. This method is useful for loose-leaf teas that can reveal different layers over time.

You do not need a large or expensive setup to begin. A gaiwan or small teapot, a sharing pitcher, a few cups, and good tea are enough. The rest can come later. (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)