If you don’t smoke, you might want to buy chabacco in Japan instead of tobacco. It’s a powdered green tea, sold in a package that looks just like a...
Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden Smoked Houjicha
Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden, from Shizuoka prefecture, is famous for its smoked teas. I have reviewed their whisky barrel wood smoked black tea in the past. This houjicha is...
The Kiraka Tea Cultivar
Kiraka (きら香) is one of the white leaf tea (hakuyoucha) cultivars. This tea is rare because it is only present in one tea field of just 3,000 square meters....
Drinking Tea with No Sense of Smell
I’ll tell you about my experience with anosmia (loss of sense of smell) that happened due to COVID-19 infection. If you’ve been wondering why I hadn’t reviewed any teas...
Naoki Matcha Nishio Bloom
This is one of the three teas that come in the masters collection matcha set from Naoki Matcha. Nishio city in Aichi prefecture is famous for its matcha. Since...
Manju
Manjū (饅頭) is a steamed cake which originally comes from Chinese cuisine, but now it is a common Japanese sweet. This wagashi looks very similar to the daifuku, but...
About Tea Brewing Parameters
I believe that one should prepare tea in a manner that results in the desired taste. You have to find the right balance between leaf amount, water volume, water...
Freshness of Green Tea is Key
By definition, green tea is minimally oxidized. This means that out of all the types of tea, green tea is closest to the natural state of the tea leaves...
Podcast 049: Tea Ceremony Online Course
In this episode I talk with Tyas Sosen about his 6 week tea ceremony intensive course. At the end of the course, you will be able to perform a...
The Harumoegi Tea Cultivar
Harumoegi (はるもえぎ) can be translated as “yellowish green spring”. This tea cultivar is used for sencha. It has a pleasant aroma and a balanced flavor. History of Harumoegi In...
Dorayaki
This wagashi is very common in Japan. Dorayaki consists of red bean paste between two pancakes. It’s fluffy and sweet. One might think that it is a modern dessert,...
Can You Prepare Different Types of Tea with the Same Kyusu?
It’s common for people to have a dedicated teapot for a type of tea, such as green tea. I believe that this notion is more prevalent in Chinese tea...