Japan is among the top 10 tea importing and exporting countries. It is one of the main green tea exporting countries in terms of total value, often ranking second...
Tea as a Wedding Gift in Japan
In the Kyushu region, tea is including as a part of a traditional wedding gift set. Tea as an engagement gift is called yuinōcha (結納茶), and as part of...
Kagoshima Tea Organic Benifuuki Sencha
I drink tea for pleasure only, as opposed to health. But my exception is green tea from the Benifuuki cultivar, which is good for allergies. Unfortunately, it isn’t the...
The Fujikaori Tea Cultivar
Fujikaori (藤かおり) literally means “wisteria aroma”. It’s mostly known for its jasmine fragrance. History of Fujikaori This cultivar was developed in Fujieda city, Shizuoka prefecture, by Mr. Morizono and...
Chabacco
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...