Category: General Info

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...

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...

I saw an old NHK documentary, it is the sixth in a series about Japanese art and culture. This one focuses on the tea bowl. It’s not just about...

Rakugan (落雁) is a Japanese dried confectionery that is commonly used in the tea ceremony. This wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet) is made with flour (often from rice) and sugar...

I’ve seen matcha used as an ingredient for many dishes, but it has never occurred to me that a matcha pizza exists. First I saw one from Japan through...

Marishi (摩利支) is named after the Buddhist guardian deity called Marishiten in Japanese. Meant for sencha production, this is an extremely early budding cultivar. History of Marishi In present...

Nanmei (なんめい, 南茗) can be translated as “south tea”. It was named this way because it is an early budding cultivar that is suitable for the southern regions of...

A friend told me about a paper teapot in Japan that you can mail as a gift: Kami no kyusu. You choose the type of tea to send with...

Okaki (おかき) and arare (あられ) are rice crackers made of glutinous rice (mochi rice). Nowadays, the only difference between them is their size. Okaki is bigger than arare. But...

On January of this year, an event called Cyber Chakai (サイバー茶会) was held in Japan. It is sort of a tea ceremony but with the use of a projecting...

Sawamizuka (さわみずか) is a late budding cultivar with high yield. Its name comes from an alternate reading for the Chinese characters of the region where it was cultivated: Sabaka...

Senbei (煎餅) is a Japanese rice cracker that often has a flat and round shape. This confectionery pairs well with green tea. Although the origin of the word is...