Did you know that what we call black tea is known as red tea in Asia, and that there’s also blue tea? On a previous post, I wrote about...
Sencha Saketini Cocktail
I love sake, some of my favorite cocktails have sake in them. When you use sake as a base, a martini becomes a saketini! Let’s make a sencha saketini....
The Book of Tea (Book Review)
The Book of Tea, by Okakura Kakuzō (岡倉覚三) is interesting because it was written for the West, and in English. It’s a classic tea book, from 1906. After reading...
Tea Seeds First Brought to Japan Inside their Fruits?
I saw an interesting article on a Japanese web page about how tea seeds where first brought to Japan from China. You can find the article here, but it’s...
Matcha Whisk vs Milk Frother, Which is Better?
An essential aspect of matcha (usucha style) is the layer of foam on top. This is traditionally achieved with the matcha whisk, or chasen (茶筅). Lately, a modern approach...
Japanese Proverbs About Tea
Japanese proverbs are sayings from olden times, they have been transmitted from each generation and are an important part of Japan’s culture. I’m going to share with you seven...
Types of Tea
A wonderful thing about tea is its great variety. A wide range of different colors, flavors, and aromas; all coming from the same plant. Tea can be classified in...
The Oxidation of Tea Leaves
Have you ever wondered why some fruits and vegetables begin to turn brown after they’re cut or bruised? This is oxidation at work. Oxidation is important in tea, because...
How to Roast Your Own Houjicha
I’ll rarely drink bancha by itself. Most likely I’ll use it as raw material to either make my own genmaicha, or roast it to make houjicha. Roasting your own...
The First Japanese Emperor to Encourage the Cultivation of Tea
Legend says that Emperor Saga (嵯峨天皇) was the first Japanese emperor to drink tea. We can’t be sure if he was really the first one to drink it, but...
Bootstrapping an Online Tea Business (Book Review)
Do you want to be the next Teavana? When I first saw this ebook I felt very curious, so I decided to buy it. All tea enthusiasts have probably...
Yamacha: Japan’s Native Tea Plant?
It’s common knowledge that the tea plant comes from China. However, throughout south western Japan there are wild tea plants called Yamacha (山茶, mountain tea). Is yamacha an indigenous...