Western and Chinese teapots usually have an upper or back handle. Have you wondered why the traditional Japanese teapot has a side handle? To answer this question, let’s take...
Podcast 053: The Kamikatsu Awa Bancha Association
I was recently contacted by Kanji Nakata from the Kamikatsu Awa Bancha Association. His English is quite good, so we decided to record this podcast episode. We talk about...
Nio Teas Kasugaen Asatsuyu Sencha
Asatsuyu is one of my favorite tea cultivars. I’m a big fan of green teas with a bold umami taste. So it’s a pleasure to review this fukamushi sencha...
The Benihikari Tea Cultivar
Benihikari, which literally means “red light”, is a Japanese tea cultivar for black tea. Note that black tea is called “red tea” (koucha) in Japan. This cultivar is a...
Why a Tea Won’t Taste the Same for Everyone
This is one of the shortcomings of tea reviews. Not only do I have different preferences regarding tea, but there are many factors that can make the same tea...
Tezumi Wazuka Zairai White Tea
I’ve never tasted a Japanese white tea before. It’s very difficult to find this type of tea made in Japan, as well as yellow tea. Note that I have...
Uji Matcha Curry Review
A friend gave me this Japanese souvenir. It’s a curry made with matcha! This product is made by Itohkyuemon, a company that sells tea and sweets made with tea....