Monaka (最中) is a traditional Japanese sweet (wagashi) consisting of a sweet filling sandwiched between two thin wafers. The wafers are often made of rice flour, and they can...
Ukishima
Ukishima (浮島) is a Japanese traditional sweet (wagashi). It’s basically a two-layered steamed cake that has sweet bean paste (red or white) mixed into the batter. It shouldn’t be...
Inside Your Japanese Garden (Book Review)
Over the last few years I’ve been growing plants and moss in my balcony as a hobby. I don’t know much about architecture nor garden design, but I was...
The First Japanese Person to Drink Black Tea
November 1st is black tea day in Japan. While Japanese green tea has a long tradition, black tea was for the most part unknown in Japan’s history. Let’s remember...
Ikkyu Satori
This gyokuro is very interesting because it is a blend of three cultivars: Yabukita, Yamakai, and Gokou. Furthermore, it’s made in Yame using a traditional method. I’m happy to...
A Bowl for a Coin: A Commodity History of Japanese Tea (Book Review)
This book written by William Wayne Farris is about 4 years old. It’s quite recent. While most books about tea include the history of Japanese tea in one way...
Flowers + Tea (Book Review)
I’ve been under much stress this week. There are various reasons: problems with the economy that affect me directly, I’m moving to a new office, and a project’s progress...
Stories of Japanese Tea (Book Review)
Thanks to Princeton Architectural Press, I obtained a copy of this book before it was published. The author is Zach Mangan, founder of Kettl. I haven’t tried their teas...
Tales of The Tea Trade (Book Review)
This book was published a few years ago by Michelle and Rob Comins. They own Comins Tea, a tea house in the UK. The first chapters introduce the authors,...
Grow Your Own Tea (Book Review)
I had this book in my wish list for more than a year. I hadn’t read it because I thought that I should own a tea plant first. But...
The Way of Tea: Reflections on a Life with Tea (Book Review)
This book was written by Aaron Fisher in 2010. He is one of the founders of Global Tea Hut. While most tea books focus on the history, types of...
Cultivating Femininity: Women and Tea Culture in Edo and Meiji Japan (Book Review)
Nowadays, most of the practitioners of the Japanese tea ceremony are women. But for a very long time it was a cultural activity dominated by men. Through this book...