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In the Southern region of Kyoto, new buds stretch out on the branches three to four times a year.Tea is made from these new buds, which means that tea can be made four times per year, but the quality of these teas will change widely with the time of year.This means that the same quality of tea can only be picked once a year.Depending on the time when the tea is produced, it is called ___bancha, with the start of the word indicating the number of the harvest, with one (ichi) being the first harvest, and each of these harvests...

If you’ve ever seen a video of a tea ceremony, or you’ve attended one yourself, you may have wondered why there are such strict rules in place simply for drinking tea.It is true that when one first begins to learn Chado, there are a surprising number of rulesI learned ado from a master myself, and was taught that it isn’t the rules which express the true nature of Chado, it is the learning of the rules which acts as a step to in understanding the nature of Chado.Chado is one type of aesthetic practice born from the thoughts of Zen...

Among the many Rokucha teas, Sencha is well known as one of the most commonly drunk varieties. As an especially ubiquitous drink in Japan, there are also many varieties of Sencha available for sale in plastic bottles.Typically tea is a product produced when raw tea leaves raised on a farm are further processed. From the time they are picked, raw tea leaves begin to change through oxidation (and fermentation), but when fresh Rokucha is processed with heat, this process stops the oxidation, and makes the tea non-fermenting. That’s why tea leaves are taken to a tea processing plant immediately on...

Gyokuro is the tea produced through a process where, when about 2 to 3 new buds begin to open on the tea plant, a roof is placed above the plants for about 20 days, to allow them to grow in limited sunlight. By limiting the amount of light they receive while raising the new buds, the transformation of amino acids (theanine) into catechin is slowed, creating a less astringent flavor with great umami. The unique scent, reminiscent of seaweed, is a hallmark of the tea.In order to make a tasty brew, it’s best to use hot water which has cooled...