Saturday Morning Tea

Jan5

When I opened the pouch to inhale the dry leaf aroma of this morning’s tea, I felt like I had just opened a bag of semi-sweet chocolate bits. You know the kind you use to make toll house cookies. I have many wonderful memories of mixing up batches of cookie battah (said in my Mom’s Brooklyn accent) on rainy afternoons and then eating the cookies warm and gooey right out of the oven. It isn’t raining today, in fact, we are having a “January thaw” here in New England with temps climbing into the mid 50s by Tuesday. As with all weather experiences here, it won’t last for long so we will savor the moments of mild springlike temps while we can.

Dumbara estate Green Curls, this green tea is from the Kandy district of Sri Lanka, known by its old world name of Ceylon in tea company. The dry leaf is a dark green which lightens up to its true color after the leaves are steeped for 3 minutes in 180 degree F water. This would be the perfect green tea for someone wanting to try green tea but unfamiliar with its vegetal notes and light body.

The liquor looks like a Darjeeling with its gorgeous amber color. The flavor is strong with interesting fruity notes. The vegetal quality is very subtle, unlike a Chinese or Japanese green tea. I wish I had known about this tea the other day when I was talking with a customer who gave her candid opinion of green tea as tasting like “dirty dish water”. Well, I’ve never sampled dirty dish water myself but I think she was probably saying that she thinks green tea is too light for her. As I recall, she was an Assam lover.

So, if you are strictly a black tea lover, this would be a good first choice to start your journey into the green tea category.

Saturday Morning Tea

Dec15

I’ve always loved the image of early spring flowers peeping up through the last remnants of winter snow. Just experiencing our first significant snowfall of the season, we seem very far away from that magical spring moment. To bring us all a little closer, especially with another storm on its way, I have chosen another hand-tied display tea called Golden Flowers in Full Bloom for my Saturday morning tea. What a glorious name.

The green leaves are carefully formed into a mushroom cap shape around a beautiful golden flower. I carefully poured 180 degree F water over the bud and then sat back to watch the birth of the flower inside.

I left the tea leaves and flower in my bowl and gently touched the rim to my lips to experience my first sip. It was mellow and smooth with light floral/nutty notes. Very soothing. With each sip, I felt words rising up from inside of me, just as the flower came forth in the water.

A golden flower

births itself in my tea bowl

I sip its beauty

Saturday Morning Tea on Sunday

Dec9

Most Darjeeling lovers are familiar with Darjeeling tea as a black tea. However, some tea gardens produce at least one green tea from the harvest season. Pictured above, the dried leaves of Arya estate Emerald green tea are very dark green in color and long and twisted in shape.

Located high in the Himalayan mountains of northeastern India, record has it that the Arya tea estate was started by a team of Buddhist monks who carefully developed their tea plants from Chinese seeds. They practiced Aruyvedic medicine and their original house may still be found on the grounds of the estate. All teas from this estate are organically produced.

I steeped the leaves in 160 degree F water for 3 minutes and they opened up to reveal a large olive green leaf. The pale liquor has a fresh, delicately vegetal aroma and notes of pear and fresh fruit. The lingering finish is quite smooth. A delightful cup!

Saturday Morning Tea on Sunday

Dec2

On this cold Sunday morning as we anticipate the arrival of wintry weather tonight, I have prepared a cup of Japanese Genmai Cha tea . As you can see from my photo, it is a blend of Japanese sencha (green) tea and roasted brown rice. This particular type of tea came about from necessity rather than invention. During a time when tea was an expensive luxury to the average person, roasted brown rice was added to green tea to make more of it. What resulted was and is today a delicious nutty, toasty brew with lower caffeine. Sometimes, the brown rice pops and the tea is decorated with what looks like small popcorn.

The liquor is a pale yellow and the toasty aroma makes me feel all warm inside. The mellow nuttiness the roasted rice imparts to the tea smooths the pungency of the green tea, making an excellent blend of flavors. If you’ve never had Genmai Cha before, I recommend it highly as an afternoon refresher when our circadian and ultradian rhythms are at their lowest point. Enjoy!

Japanese Tea Ceremony

Nov24

Last Sunday I had the honor, along with 3 of my work colleagues, of attending a Japanese Tea Ceremony at the Kaji Aso studio in Boston. Excitement was mounting all week as we eagerly looked forward to our visit. The studio is located right off of Huntington Ave. so it is very easy to find.

Jane, one of the tea apprentices, greeted us at the door as we arrived. She was beautifully dressed in a silk kimono and obi. We were graciously shown into the front room gallery of the brownstone, where the students display and sell their work. Rows of shelving on both sides of the room are filled with beautiful tea bowls, plates and ceramic vessels, created in their studio. After we looked around a little, we were led down a flight of stairs through the ceramics studio and out into the backyard. As we carefully stepped along the worn stone path, I felt my body and spirit relax and slip into that moment in time. I was already getting into “tea mind”.

We entered the vestibule of the “House of Flower Wind” tea house by way of its beautiful garden, complete with koi pond and bamboo water fountains. We were instructed to remove our shoes before we entered the teahouse. A beautiful calligraphy scroll on the wall translates to “One moment, one life” or “One moment, full of friendship”. This principal of tea ceremony expresses the relationship of tea & Zen.

One at a time, we entered the teahouse on our knees, bowed to the teamaster and sat down on the soft mat. We quietly watched as Kate made the tea – dip the bamboo ladle into the water kettle, pour, rinse and clean the tea bowl, spoon the powdered matcha with the bamboo scoop into the bowl, dip and pour the water, whisk the tea into a froth. Her movements were like a graceful dance, so mesmerizing and calming to watch. This first tea was prepared lightly with small sweets to enjoy before drinking the tea. The sweet is a nice balance to the pungency of the matcha. Before the stronger second tea, we had a pastry called “ohagi”, sweetened red beans over sweet rice sprinkled with soy powder. We also had a sweet rice rolled in ground black sesame. These delectable treats were served in 220 year old black lacquer covered bowls. Each tea was served in a tea bowl over 1000 years old. As each one of us in turn quietly drank from each bowl, we felt the ancient venerable energy infusing our tea experience. The tea tasted fresh, clean and delightfully pungent.

Kate, Jane and Jennifer were delightful hosts, each taking a turn to make and serve the tea. We enjoyed chatting with them, during and after tea, learning about the tradition and history of the tea ceremony and about Mr. Aso and the studio he created. We are truly grateful for their kindness and hospitality. They created an amazing experience for us, one that we will never forget!

“I thought I saw you but then the moon hid behind the clouds and I lost you.” -Murasaki Shikibu