While I was in Kyoto, I visited the Kanshundo (甘春堂) wagashi store. It was founded all the way back in 1865, so they know quite a lot about making...
Marukyu Koyamaen Unkaku
This matcha is the first tea that I bought during my recent trip. I started drinking matcha every morning a few months ago, and I may have become addicted....
Tea: A User’s Guide (Book Review)
This book from Tony Gebely of World of Tea was one of the most anticipated books about tea this year. I bought it as soon as I found out...
Nagatani Soen: The Inventor of Sencha
Although sencha is one of the most famous Japanese teas, it wasn’t invented until the 18th century. It’s hard to imagine now, but loose leaf tea in Japan was...
Uji Press Tea Tour 2016 Part 3
This was the final day of the tea tour. Time flies when you’re having fun. I felt a bit sad because the time spent together with the other press...
Uji Press Tea Tour 2016 Part 2
On this day we had the opportunity to see tea fields and tea processing plants in the Uji region. The sky was cloudy and we did have some rain,...
Uji Press Tea Tour 2016
JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) invited me to a press tour in Uji, Kyoto prefecture. I’m very thankful, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better tea tour. The other...
How to Brew Shincha
Shincha is one of the best green teas that Japan has to offer. It’s a seasonal tea, because it’s only available during the first flush. I hadn’t written about...
Osadaen Yamabuki Nadeshiko
I had tried this tea at the World Tea Expo, but didn’t have a sample for a proper review. However, my friend Noli Ergas from Sugimoto America gave me...
The New Tea Companion (Book Review)
I bought this book at this year’s World Tea Expo. It’s the third edition, which has been updated with new material. The authors are Jane Pettigrew and Bruce Richardson....
Quick Method for Cold Brewing Green Tea
We’ve seen how to cold brew green tea, that is, how to infuse without using hot water. This type of infusion, while easy to do, takes a longer time...
DoMatcha Master’s Choice
This year I’ve been drinking more matcha than ever before. I have enough matcha now, so I’m actually drinking it daily. I want to see if this way I...