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...
Why I Stopped Doing Public Tea Events
I have a small online tea store in Bogota, Colombia: kyusuteas.com I started the business 10 years ago, with the hope that I could convert many of the locals...
The Yamanoibuki Cultivar
Yamanoibuki (山の息吹) means “mountain breath”. It’s an early budding cultivar meant for sencha production. History of Yamanoibuki In 1975 at present day Kawanehon town in Shizuoka prefecture, specimens were...
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...
I Propagated My First Tea Plant
I have two tea plants in the same pot. They seem to be from the Assamica variety, but the specific cultivar is unknown. After taking care of them for...
I Love the Umami Taste of Green Tea
A tea with much umami taste feels savory, brothy and with more body than usual. I just can’t imagine going several days without drinking a tea that is high...
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...
Sencha vs Kukicha
While these two types of Japanese green tea have a different appearance, their other attributes are somewhat similar. Green tea production inevitably results in a considerable amount of excess...
The Yamakai Tea Cultivar
Yamakai (やまかい、山峡) means “ravine”. The name of this cultivar comes from the fact that it has a color similar to mountain tea. It’s suitable for sencha, kabusecha and gyokuro....
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...
Begin Japanology – Tea Ceremony (Video)
While I’m not a practitioner of the Japanese tea ceremony, I’ve always found it interesting. This video is an episode from an NHK television program that aired in 2009....
Swirling the Teapot while Brewing Tea
Swirling a teapot means to move it in a circular motion. In Japan, this is generally not advised. The reason is that your tea may become too bitter. But...