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...
Japan Spirit and Form: Japanese Tea Bowls (Documentary)
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
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...
Matcha Pizza
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...
The Marishi Tea Cultivar
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...
The Nanmei Tea Cultivar
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...
Paper Kyusu
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 and Arare
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...
Cyber Chakai
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...
The Sawamizuka Tea Cultivar
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
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...