About 3 years ago, I traveled to Japan for the first time. This was also my first time in Asia. Earlier that year, I had completed a yearlong journey around the world which took me to a variety of foreign environments (20+ countries). So... I believed that I was mentally prepared for the unknown that … Continue reading My First Taste of Matcha
A Guide for Tea in Tokyo.
The first time I went to Tokyo, I was looking for tea. I had only started to fall for Japanese tea then. The problem was, I had no idea how to find it. Japanese seemed intimidating to me. Kanji. I had no idea what that even was. Foreign sounds and sights, lots and lots of … Continue reading A Guide for Tea in Tokyo.
What types of teas are produced in Japan?
There are many different types of tea produced in Japan. A large majority of tea in Japan comes from the Yabukita cultivar (75%), however there are also many other cultivars that exist in Japan. The cultivar will ultimately influence the flavors in the cup based upon its chemistry. Sencha: Sencha is the most common type of … Continue reading What types of teas are produced in Japan?
Tea Review: “Eiju” Japanese Sencha Green Tea
Anyone that knows me and my journey in tea would know that after several false starts (with tea bags...errrr.... garbage), my interest was first genuinely piqued when I first discovered loose leaf sencha. From there the rest is history... and now my real journey has begun. This led me to a tea session today with a Japanese … Continue reading Tea Review: “Eiju” Japanese Sencha Green Tea
Exploring Tea Fields in Kyoto at Obubu Tea Farms (Japan)
It was a few days before my 33rd birthday and I had decided that as a birthday present to myself I wanted to take a day that week to explore some of the tea fields and farms around Kyoto. I googled “tea farms Kyoto”… up popped several links for Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. It appeared … Continue reading Exploring Tea Fields in Kyoto at Obubu Tea Farms (Japan)
The Day I Fell in Love with Gyokuro
It was my 33rd birthday. I had arrived in Kyoto, Japan just the day before. Some of the details of the day stand out more than others. However, the single detail that rings the trues in my mind, is the moment I realized what umami was and henceforth the day I fell in love with … Continue reading The Day I Fell in Love with Gyokuro
