Ooika specializes in single cultivar matcha. They import the tea leaves from Japan and grind them in the US. This matcha from the Asahi cultivar is made in the...
Maiko Tea Yashiki no Cha Gyokuro
I had the pleasure to try the best gyokuro from Maiko Tea: Yashiki no cha. Mr. Yamashita watches these tea plants daily. Only a few kilograms are made each...
A Bowl for a Coin: A Commodity History of Japanese Tea (Book Review)
This book written by William Wayne Farris is about 4 years old. It’s quite recent. While most books about tea include the history of Japanese tea in one way...
Nio Teas Gyokuro Kukicha
This is my first tea review of 2023. I chose a kukicha made from gyokuro stems because it’s not a tea that I drink often. This is an organic...
River & Stone Tea Asahi Matcha
River & Stone Tea mills their own matcha in the US. They import the tencha from Uji. I’ve tried freshly milled matcha at the World Tea Expo, but this...
Tezumi Takamura Kamairicha
It’s been years since I’ve tasted a kamairicha. This type of Japanese tea is uncommon. Thanks to Tezumi I’ll review this one from Kumamoto prefecture, one of the two...
Maiko Tea Takumi Gyokuro
Takumi means artisan in Japanese. This isn’t the highest grade gyokuro from Maiko Tea, but it’s up there with the best. There’s little information on the website regarding this...
Flowers + Tea (Book Review)
I’ve been under much stress this week. There are various reasons: problems with the economy that affect me directly, I’m moving to a new office, and a project’s progress...
Sugimoto Tea Organic Sencha Fuushun
One of my favorite things to do is reviewing a Japanese tea made from a cultivar that I haven’t tasted before. Sugimoto Tea has helped me a lot in...
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...
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....