One of the most interesting things about the benifuuki tea cultivar is that when it’s processed as a green tea, it has a high content of methylated catechins. This...
Teatox: Herbal Tea in Detox Diets
Cleanse diets have become very popular, there are a great number of them. One of them is the detox diet, which often employ herbal tea blends. You’ve probably seen...
How to Make Matcha Iri Genmaicha
Matcha iri genmaicha (抹茶入玄米茶) is a blend of two very popular Japanese teas: matcha and genmaicha. If you ever feel like drinking a bolder version of a genmaicha, this...
Yannoko Tea Gyokuro Suzume
This review was possible thanks to Iain Scott of Yannoko Tea. I don’t drink gyokuro as much as I drink matcha or sencha, but nevertheless I always have a...
5 Reasons Why it’s Better to Drink Tea in Small Cups
If you’re drinking tea from a mug, you might be missing out. A mug’s capacity is often 8 to 12 fluid ounces, while traditional Chinese or Japanese style teacups...
Yoshimasa and the Silver Pavilion (Book Review)
This book was recommended to me by Lochan of Jun Chiyabari. The complete title of the book is Yoshimasa and the Silver Pavilion: The Creation of the Soul of...
Fujien Tenjocha Fugaku
Tenjocha Fugaku (天上茶 富嶽) can be translated as “heavens tea from Mount Fuji”. I received this sample thanks to webexpoo.com, a site where you can source Japanese products. It’s...
Kūkai
Kūkai (空海) is a famous historical figure in Japan. He founded the Shingon School of Buddhism (真言宗) and along with a fellow monk named Saichō, brought tea seeds to...
Shizuoka Wari
When my wife and I visited Shizuoka city, we went out for dinner with my friend Wataru. There he recommended to me a cocktail made with green tea: Shizuoka...
Kanes Organic Matcha Kaze
I have tasted many teas thanks to my friends at Kanes, but this is the first time that I review a matcha from them. Their organic matcha kaze (風,...
Japanese Tea: A Comprehensive Guide (Book Review)
This book’s author, Simona Zavadckyte, works at the international department of Obubu Tea Farms. She has years of experience with tea in Japan because of her work, and also...
Why does Japanese Green Tea Smell like Seaweed?
Japanese green teas often exhibit a fresh and marine aroma, very similar to seaweed. It’s an indicative of good quality. Some people mistakenly call it a “fishy” aroma. If...