Blooming Flower Tea

There are those that believe that these beautiful works of art came from an ancient Chinese tradition; however it is widely considered to be developed in the 1990s in China and made its way to the west in the early 2000s.

It is popular to brew this type of tea in a clear pot or cup in order to watch the leaves unfurl as it steeps.  This tea is usually good for multiple brews so it’s better to brew in a pot.  The most common flowers used in flowering teas are chrysanthemums, jasmines, lilies, osmanthus and hibiscus.

They are created when artisans bunch the leaves into a ball and having them dry in that form, allowing the leaves to retain the ball structure.  When packaged, they are wrapped individually so as they are not jostled during transport.  There are some that say that there are artisans that can create little scenes with their teas (some say like a sailing ship, though I have never seen it for myself).  I will admit, half the fun is seeing what will unfurl from that tight little ball.

If you are finishing your tea and are finding it heartbreaking to lose the work of art…never fear! By using two spoons, you can transfer your tea from your teapot of hot water to another filled with cold water.  Some say that this can be maintained for weeks!

While digging up research, I also found that there are those out there that make their own tea balls.  In fact, I found instructions on how to do it myself!  Here’s the link for those willing to take on the challenge:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7661477_make-flowering-tea-balls.html

Cool, no? I managed to find a video on YouTube that allows you to watch this tea unfurl:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbRpdYRz1Y0

Posted in Article, Chinese Tea, Culture, Floral Tea, Stories, Tea, Tea 201, Tisane | No Comments »

Pre-Whisked Dry Matcha

Whenever I walked into a tea shop, I had always seen the bamboo whisk pictured above but could never figure out what it had to do with tea…apparently it is all in the matcha.

Matcha is a powdered green tea of the highest quality in Japan.  This type of tea is traditionally used in chanoyu/the Japanese Way of Tea.  The directions on preparing the tea are simple: add the powdered green tea to hot water, use the whisk to thoroughly mix the powder and water, drink and enjoy.  No sugar is needed.  However, if you must indulge your sweet tooth, a sweet is allowed prior to drinking the matcha as long as it complements the tea’s flavor.

There are two types of matcha: koicha/thick tea and usucha/thin tea.  The names are quite self-explanatory.  For thick tea, more tea is needed in proportion to water.  The end result is a thick creamy soup.  On the other hand, for the thin tea it is more water needed in proportion to the tea.  Then the mix is whisked together to create a light and frothy beverage.

Matcha is grown in the Uji area which is southwest of Kyoto.   The leaves are picked in early May and lightly steamed in order to prevent fermentation as well as allowing the tea to retain its vibrant green color.  The leaves are dried then stored until November when the plants are stone-grounded when needed.

When storing your matcha, be advised that you should not store it like a normal tea.  Matchas should always be stored in a freezer in either an air-tight container or plastic bag.  When you are ready to drink your matcha, you must let the powder rose to room temperature and then strain it through a fine sieve.

So little did you know that not all teas come in leaf form! What do you think, dear readers?

Posted in Article, Ceremony, Culture, Japanese Tea, Matcha, Mythology, Myths, Stories, Tea | 4 Comments »

Sen no Rikkyu

Japanese Tea Ceremony – Sen No Rikkyu

photo reference[1]

Though many people drink tea,

if you do not know the Way of Tea,

tea will drink you up.

-Sen no Rikkyu

This man shaped what we know today to be the chanoyu, or the Japanese “Way of Tea” and Japanese Tea Ceremony.  He was born Yoshiro in the merchant city of Sakai in 1522.  He was trained at a young age on the art of the tea ceremony.   He had also trained in the art of Zen in the Daitoku-ji Temple in northwest Kyoto.  He took the name Sen from his family name. Not much else is known about his middle years.

His fame came in 1579 (when he was 58).  He was the tea master to Oda Nobunaga, who was the first to unify all of Japan.  When Nobunaga died, Rikkyu became the tea master for his successor: Toyotomi Hideyoshi.  Rikkyu quickly rose in Hideyoshi’s esteem and eventually aided Hideyoshi in a tea gather for the Emperor Ogimachi.  The emperor bestowed our tea master with the Buddhist lay name: Rikkyu Koji (利休居士).

According to Rikkyu, there are four important qualities of a tea ceremony: Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility.  Some of his contributions included:

• A tea house that can accommodate five people,
• A separate small room where tea utensils are washed
• Two entrances, one for the host and one for the guests
• A doorway low enough to require the guests to bend down to enter, humbling themselves in preparation for the tea ceremony

While Rikkyu was very close to his friend Hideyoshi, their friendship was not perfect.  Though the reasons remain unclear, Hideyoshi eventually ordered the ritualistic suicide of Rikkyu.  According to legend, it was because when Hideyoshi entered the Daitoku-ji temple (whose construction he funded), he saw that had to walk under a statue of Rikkyu which symbolized that he was beneath the tea master.  Our tea master complied but only after hosting an exquisite tea ceremony.  But before he did the deed, he wrote a death poem to his dagger:

I raise the sword.
This sword of mine;
Long in my possession.
The time is come at last.
Skyward I throw it up!

Talk about going out with style!

Posted in Article, Ceremony, Culture, Japanese Tea, Mythology, Stories, Tea | No Comments »

Reading the Leaves

Tasseography (also known as tasseomancy and tassology) – the reading and divination of one’s future through the reading of tea or coffee remnants in a cup.  The word comes from the French word tasse (cup) which is a cognate of the Arabic word tassa (cup or goblet).  While the suffixes are from the Greek words –graphy (writing), -mancy (divination) and -ology (the study of).

For as long as tea has been around in ancient China, so has the art of leaf reading.  It is said to have started in 2737 B.C. when Buddhist sages began to interpret the patterns that formed at the bottom of their tea cups.

Tea has been an integral part of daily life in the Chinese culture.  It seems only logical that part of the culture including trying to foretell the future with the remnants of their own drunken tea.  The practice originated in China and was spread west in the seventeenth century as Dutch traders brought tea via the trade routes.

It is said by some that Spring Pouchong tea (Chinese: 包種茶;pinyin: Bāozhòngchá) is popular.  There is a big of a debate as to which type of tea should be used in tasseomancy.  Some believe that the small fannings (or tea dust) found in tea bag is too fine to create the necessary symbols to be read through tasseomancy.  On the other hand there are those that prefer to use the tea bag because the fannings are capable of creating more detailed images.  You decide for yourself, dear readers.

Why do you think, dear readers? Would you like to try your hand at tasseography or tasseomancy?   I have found a great site with symbols in order to try your hand at tasseomancy.

http://www.tasseography.com/symbol.htm

Posted in Article, Culture, History, Spirituality, Stories, Tea | No Comments »

Teas & Tisanes

Here’s a fun fact for you: there are teas that are not made from tea leaves. Gasp!  Technically this means that these are not ‘teas.’ Instead they are called tisanes, or herbal teas.

The word tisane is derived Greek word ptisanē, which means crushed barley.  This is in reference to an old drink that was made from crushed barley.  Essentially you could throw any herb, flower or spice into a pot of boiling water and voila you have a tisane.  Once you add tea leaves to the mix, and then it is officially tea.  Just so you know, since the tisane are lacking in tea leaves, there is usually no caffeine.

Tisanes have been popular for years for their health properties.  People have been creating these herbal teas for centuries.  If you are interested in finding a tea to cure certain ailments, here are some herbs and their properties:

To invigorate: rosemary, rosehip, lemon verbena, peppermint, borage

To calm: chamomile, lavender, basil, dill, orange peel

To relieve a sore throat or head cold: elderberries, rosehips, peppermint, sage, and cayenne

To treat a cough: thyme, rose petals, eucalyptus, linden, licorice

To sooth an upset stomach: ginger, peppermint, lemon balm, and chamomile

To ease a headache: rosemary, willow bark, peppermint

However, I must note that these herbal teas, like or medication, contain components that can cause unwanted side effects so please be wary of using it while on other medication.  If you are interested in creating your own concoction, please discuss this with a trained health care professional.

I have a particular fondness for tisanes.  When I want to sleep, I immediately go for a cup of chamomile.  When I have an upset stomach, there is always a cup of peppermint tea by my side.  Teas and herbal teas have a lot of health benefits; it is more than just great flavor.

What do you think, dear readers?  Do you use tea to cure your own ailments? If so, what teas do you go for and why?

Posted in Article, Herbal Tea, Stories, Tea, Tea 101, Tisane | No Comments »