6/03/2008

Cha Tea Tee Chai

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Tea (cha)

Various types of tea are consumed in Japan.

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Hand-made tea is best !



Bancha ばん‐ちゃ(番茶) coarse tea, with a slightly smoky flavor
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
番茶も出花
Even a plain girl is pretty when she is young [sixteen].
Bancha; einfacher grüner Tee


Ganjincha, Ganjin cha 鑑真茶 "Ganjin tea"
brought from the priest Ganjin to Yamato . 大和茶粥の茶
Ganjin 鑒真 or 鑑真
The tea is used to prepare "yamato no chagayu" rice gruel with green Yamato tea.
Its base are roasted soy beans, wheat grains, hoojichaほうじ茶, hatomugi はと麦 , persimmon leaves and other ingredients.
. . . CLICK here for Photos 大和茶粥 !



Genmaicha げんまいちゃ(玄米茶) treen tea, mixture with whole rice grains
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
mit geröstetem Naturreis gemischter grüner Tee


Gyokuro ぎょくろ(玉露) green tea of the highest quality
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Hojija, hoojicha ほうじちゃ(焙じ茶) roasted (low-grade) green tea
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
gerösteter Tee


Irima cha 入間茶 Green tea from Irima
埼玉県入間市 , Saitama prefecture

This large area provides more than 50 percent of all the green tea of Japan. They pick first tea by hand and have also varies types of machinery to cut the tea during harvest time.




kancha 寒茶 tea harvested in the cold Tokushima


Kocha, koocha 紅茶 black tea
lit. "red tea"
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Konbucha, kombucha 昆布茶 pulverized konbu seaweeds
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Konacha こな‐ちゃ(粉茶) powdered tea
.... kocha こちゃ
often eaten with sushi, as a palate cleanser.
Pulvertee

Kukicha くきちゃ(茎茶) made from twigs and some leaves. quite adstringent.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Grober Tee aus Stängeln und Blattrippen


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Macha, matcha 抹茶(まっちゃ)
powder from green tea leaves, for the tea ceremony.
green tea powder
Used to flavor icecream, cakes and other sweets.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
grüner Pulvertee

- quote -
‘Matcha’ gets remake in U.S. market
by Christine Armario - April 2015 - Japan Times -
More than a thousand years ago, Buddhist monks in Japan began a daily ritual of grinding green tea leaves into powder, mixing it into hot water with a bamboo whisk, then sharing the tea from a single cup.
Today
matcha in the U.S. is considerably less monastic. It’s being blended into lattes, dusted onto cheesecakes, mixed into chocolate, even infused in bourbon. . . .
Chefs are mixing matcha with grains, using it in toppings for Bundt cakes, and mixing it into cocktails, adding a punch of opulent green color along with a cool, mellow taste to playful culinary combinations.
Teavana President Annie Young-Scrivner even uses matcha as a beauty mask.
. . . “Japan respects the traditional tea ceremony,”
said Rona Tison, a senior vice president with Ito En, one of the world’s largest green tea distributors. “But they are becoming Westernized as well.”
. . . more
- source : Japan Times

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Mugicha 麦茶 むぎちゃ Barley tea, usually drunk in summer.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Gerstentee

In Edo it was called "Mugiyu 麦湯" and drunk warm.
CLICK here for PHOTOS !
It was best in summer just after the harvest in may and june. The smell of freshly roasted grains is appetizing and even now there are a few shops in Tokyo who roast it.
marutsubu mugicha 丸粒麦茶
tsubumai 粒米

vendor of hot mugicha
source : kagome co.



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ochiya 御知家 o-cha
Two boxes or other containers with bancha as a wedding present in Kyushu.
The tree for a bancha plant can only be replanted once, nido to denai, does not go away for a second try, therefore auspicious in Kyushu.
Once a couple is married, it is called
"tea has been poored" お茶が入った (o-cha ga haitta).



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Sencha せんちゃ(煎茶) gren tea of medium-high quality. Served to guests and in restaurants.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Grüner Tee mittlerer Qualität


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Ujicha, Uji-cha 宇治茶 tea from Uji (near Kyoto)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Already used by Sen no Rikyu for his tea ceremony.


Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408) promoted cultivation of green tea in the Uji area. Since that time Uji has been an important production and distribution center of superior quality green tea. Tsuen tea has been served since 1160 and is still sold in what is the oldest tea shop in Japan, and possibly the world--the Tsuen tea shop 通圓茶屋(つうえんちゃや).
The Byōdō-in, Byodo-In 平等院 with its Amida (Phoenix) Hall built in 1053, in Uji.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


koori uji 氷宇治(こおりうじ)Uji tea on shaved ice
kigo for all summer


Uji macha chokoreeto 宇治抹茶チョコレート
Sweets from green Uji Tea with Chocolate

chanoki ningyoo 茶の木人形 dolls carved from the tea tree
Uji Ningyoo 宇治人形, dolls from Uji




post box in Uji, in the form of an old tea caddy



At the temple Butsuryu-Ji (Butsuryuuji 仏隆寺(ぶつりゅうじ)in Uda, there is the oldest stone mortar to grind tea leaves to powder, brought by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) from China. The temple was founded by his disciple Kenne in 850. Kukai had gotten the millstone it from Emperor Tokuso 徳宗皇帝 (742 - 805). There is a kirin animal decorating one side of the millstone. The millstone was once thrown on the stone floor and broke a bit from the side, this war repaired later with pure gold, and the millstone called "Golden Millstone kin no cha-usu 金の茶臼.

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Kobo Daishi also brought tea plants, which grow here.

chausu, cha-usu 茶臼 millstone for grinding tea leaves


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Nihoncha Instructor Association
日本茶インストラクター協会


Nihoncha Instructor (or Japanese Tea Instructor) is a certification program offered by Nihoncha Instructor Association in Japan to help promote education and consumption of Japanese Tea. This program is rather standardised teaching the most popular Japanese green tea. Sencha is most commonly studied and many of the regional differences are standardised to teach one basic method. It is a good starting point for instructors to begin their career as tea professionals, and also getting general public more deeply interested in Japanese green tea so that they start to explore different types and regions.

The Nihoncha Instructor Exam is comprised of 10 chapters, which come from Nihoncha Instructor Textbook.

1-History of Tea (mostly in Japan and China, some European history),
2-Tea Cultivation,
3-Tea Processing,
4-Other uses of Tea,
5-Chemistry of Tea,
6-Tea Preparation,
7-Health Benefit,
8-Business and Distribution of Tea,
9-Quality Examination and Judging,
10-Instruction Techniques

Currently these programs are only offered in Japanese.

http://www.nihoncha-inst.com/



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Cha and Cha no Yu / TEA, the Way of Tea
Tea Ceremony Saijiki
茶道の歳時記 


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Green tea is a popular beverage in Japan, and many people consume green tea on a daily basis. It's said that green tea was introduced to Japan in the 8th century by Buddhist monks who came back from China. Nowadays, green tea leaves are grown in many regions, including Shizuoka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Saitama, and lots more. Especially, Uji-cha produced in Kyoto Uji region is well-known as a high grade green tea. Also, Uji region is a popular tourist destination as Ujigami Shrine and Uji Byodoin Temple are inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. If you have a plan to visit Kyoto, here is a suggested itenerary to enjoy green tea.

more

Japanese tea is called o-cha and is referred to green tea. Green tea is one of the most popular beverages in Japan. Green tea harvest starts around May 1 every year in Japan. Green tea farms are filled with bright green tea leaves. Shizuoka prefecture produces most of the green tea in Japan. You can see many green tea farms around the area.

Tea leaves are steamed, dried, rolled, and blended at tea processing factory. There are many varieties of green tea. Gyokuro is the most superior green tea which has sweet flavor. As it is grown, it is protected from direct sunlight. Sencha is the most common green tea. It is raised without cover for the sun. Maccha is made by grounding steamed dried tea leaves into powder with a stone mortar. It is used for tea ceremonies. Houjicha is made by roasting the leaves. It contains little caffein or tannin. Bancha is rough tea. It is made from lower grade tea leaves and is inexpensive.

When brewing green tea, we put tea leaves in a teapot called Kyusu and pour hot water in it. Then, tea is served in an individual cup called Yunomi which has no handles. If you are visiting someone's house or business in Japan, you will probably be offered a cup of green tea. Also, Japanese restaurants serve green tea free of charge. When you drink Japanese tea, hold the yunomi cup with one hand and put the other hand at the bottom of the cup. Please remember that green tea is drunk hot and without sugar or cream.

and more !
source : gojapan.about.com / Shizuko Mishima


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. kuwa cha , kuwacha 桑茶 mulberry tea
kuwa no hacha 桑の葉 茶 tea from mulberry leaves

The leaves are later prepared as a kind of tsukudani and eaten, over a bowl of white rice.
. . . . . and
mulberry sake 桑酒 kuwazake , kuwashu
Made from mulberries. "Mulberry wine".
Another medicine type is also made with the bark and roots of the tree.



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. Saga Tenno 嵯峨天皇 (786–842)  
According to legend,he was the first Japanese emperor to drink tea.
He was a great sponsor of Kukai Kobo Daishi.





Sakuracha, sakura-cha 桜茶 cherryblossom tea

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Kirschblütentee

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Tea Poetry
The first and ONLY poetry book on the subject of tea. Included are poems from around the world and from the third through the twenty-first centuries. Compiled by TEA's editor Pearl Dexter.

TEA a magazine
A consumer quarterly magazine all about tea, both as a beverage and for its cultural significance in art, music, literature, history, and society.
source : teamag.com/


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Japanese Tea Culture
(External LINKS)
Bancha (coarse tea) tells history of tea culture in Japan
Tea of Hachijuhachiya (88th night)
Awabancha & Goishicha in Tosa prefecture
Furicha
Botebote cha from Izumo region
Tea- For eating powdered grain
Chashi and Hands Processing of Making Tea
Origin of Ochazuke
The origin of "tea color"
Chakiribushi
"Ocha no ko saisai"-That's piece of cake
"Ocha wo nigosu"
Where the song "Zuizuizukkorobashi" came from?
Lucky tea of the New Year
Marriage and Tea
Funeral and Tea
Chado and Chaya


source :  World Green Tea Association / www.o-cha.net


Reference : 日本各地の銘茶
Washoku Library

Akaishi meicha 赤石銘茶 あかいしめいちゃ
Asamiyacha 朝宮茶 あさみやちゃ, Shiga

Asahina gyokuro 朝比奈玉露 あさひなぎょくろ, Okabe County, Shizuoka pref.
The gyokuro leaves are carefully protected from direct sunlight by using straw or synthetic fibers. Compared to tea leaves grown in the open air, gyokuro leaves have a certain gloss and they are succulent, as well as supple and aromatic.

Ashikubocha 足久保茶 あしくぼちゃ, Shizuoka
Iinancha 飯南茶 いいなんちゃ, Mie
Ibicha 揖斐茶 いびちゃ, Gifu
Irokawacha 色川茶 いろかわちゃ, Nara
Inbicha 因尾茶 いんびちゃ, Oita
Ureshinocha 嬉野茶 うれしのちゃ, Saga
Eicha 頴娃茶 えいちゃ,Kagoshima
Oodaicha 大台茶 おおだいちゃ, Mie
Okukujicha 奥久慈茶 おくくじちゃ, Ibaragi
Kaoruhadacha 香肌茶 かおるはだちゃ, Mie
Kameyamacha 亀山茶 かめやまちゃ, Mie
Kumacha 久万茶 くまちゃ, Ehime
Kesencha 気仙茶 けせんちゃ, Iwate
Sarushimacha 猿島茶 さしまちゃ , Ibaraki
Shirakawacha 白川茶 しらかわちゃ,Gifu
Shinguucha 新宮茶 しんぐうちゃ, Ehime
Shinshirocha 新城茶 しんしろちゃ, Aichi
Suizawacha 水沢茶 すいざわちゃ, Mie
Suzukacha 鈴鹿茶 すずかちゃ, Mie
Sechiharacha 世知原茶 せちはらちゃ, Saga/Nagasaki
Senreicha 仙霊茶 せんれいちゃ, Hyogo
Takasecha 高瀬茶 たかせちゃ, Kagawa, Yamaguchi
Takemacha 岳間茶 たけまちゃ, Kumamoto
Tanbacha 丹波茶たんばちゃ, Hyogo
Chirancha 知覧茶 ちらんちゃ, Nara
Tsuchiyamacha 土山茶 つちやまちゃ, Shiga
Tosacha 土佐茶 とさちゃ, Kochi
Furuuchicha, Furu-uchi cha 古内茶ふるうちちゃ, Ibaragi
Higocha 肥後茶 ひごちゃ, Kyushu
Boochoocha 防長茶 ぼうちょうちゃ, Yamaguchi
Mandokorocha 政所茶 まんどころちゃ, Shiga
Mikawacha 三河茶 みかわちゃ, Aichi
Miyako no joocha 都城茶 みやこのじょうちゃ, Miyazaki
Mooshicha 母子茶 もうしちゃ, Hyogo
Monouchi cha 桃生茶 ものうちゃ, Miyagi, Ishimaki
Yabakeicha 耶馬溪茶 やばけいちゃ, Oita
Yabecha 矢部茶 やべちゃ, Kumamoto
Yamatocha 大和茶 やまとちゃ, Nara
Wataraicha 度会茶 わたらいちゃ, Mie
Wazukacha 和束茶 わづかちゃ, Kyoto



Nishiocha, Nishi-O cha 西尾茶 (にしおちゃ)
Nishio, Aichi
Japan’s highest quality tea leaves come from the town of Nishio, an historic tea cultivating region since the 1200s. Nishio’s idyllic climate, fresh river water, fertile soil and remoteness from major urban development foster tea leaves that are more resiliently green and nutrient than those found in any other region of Japan. Its quality is such that Nishio Matcha now represents over 60% of all Matcha sold in Japan.
The tea ceremony is very much alive in this town and children practise it at school.

The green tea is ground with stone mortars, which are driven by electical devices. Each mortar produces little tea, so more than 500 are working in one big room
The stone mortars have to be cut and cared fore by special stone masons of the ara.



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. WASHOKU
Eco Products

Itoen, a Tea company 伊藤園 / 伊東園
Makes insoles for shoes out of the left-over tealeaves !
They are deodorizing and antibacterial in a natural way.



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. sanbai no o-cha 三杯のお茶 / 三献茶
Three cups of tea and Ishida Mitsunari 石田三成
 




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HAIKU


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茶の花に隠んぼする雀哉
cha no hana ni kakurenbo suru suzume kana

playing hide-and-seek
in tea blossoms ...
sparrows



川霧のまくしかけたり茶つみ唄

kawa kiri no makushikaketari cha tsumi uta

in the river fog
a boistrous noise...
tea-picking song




ぶつぶつと大念仏でつむ茶哉
butsu-butsu to oonembutsu de tsumu cha kana

grumbling praise
to Amida Buddha...
tea picker


Kobayashi Issa
Tr. David Lanoue


cha no hana 茶の花 (ちゃのはな) tea blossoms
kigo for early winter

chatsumi uta 茶つみ唄 song of the tea pickers
kigo for late spring


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木隠れて茶摘みも聞くやほととぎす
kogakurete chatsumi mo kiku ya hototogisu

hidden by the shrubs
do the tea pickers hear it too?
this hototogisu

Tr. Gabi Greve


Written on the 8th day of the 5th lunar month 1694
元禄7年5月8日

Basho had spent a night at the home of Kashiwagi Soryuu 柏木素竜 (? - 1716).
Basho wrote this most probably as a response to a poem by Soryu, and described this scene from his memory of the tea plantatios of Suruga.
The ladies picking tea are coming in and out of the tea shrubs, while the hototogisu is singing his song.

. WKD : hototogisu ホトトギス, 時鳥 .
Little Cuckoo, Cuculus poliocephalis


hidden in the bushes,
do the tea-pickers too hear it?
cuckoo

Tr. Barnhill


hidden in the bushes
tea-pickers listen too -
the mountain cuckoo

Tr. John Carley (fb)


Hiding itself among the trees
Tea pickers also hear its call?
A little cuckoo.

Tr. Nelson / Saito



. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


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autumn is coming -
the red and green
of Japan


. LOOK HERE ! .


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Related words

Chocolate with green powered macha tea 抹茶チョコレート

chanoki ningyoo 茶の木人形 dolls carved from the tea tree

aroe cha アロエお茶 aloe tea from Aloe vera


***** WASHOKU : DRINKS SAIJIKI


***** . Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .
Drinking Tea with Basho


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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love these translations.
F.

Anonymous said...

Japanese Tea ...
http://teatropolitan.wordpress.com/category/guides/

A Guide to Japanese Teas
Tea first came to Japan from China in the late 9th century. After the first seeds were brought to Japan by a priest, tea quickly became the drink of religious classes as well as wealthy and cultured people. Tea became an important element of passing time while socializing and enjoying arts or music. Later, over a few centuries the modern tea ceremony was adopted and developed. Today Japanese green tea it a national drink available to everyone. Below is a list of most common teas produced in Japan.

Matcha
“Rubbed tea” - Powdered tea, with a vivid green color and very grassy flavour. Generally it’s made of Gyokuro tea which is stone ground into fine powder. Matcha is the characteristic tea used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, it is also used in preparation of food, desserts and drinks. Since we consume the powdered tea leaves while drinking matcha, we consume more of it’s nutrients then by drinking just the infusion from the leaves, but it also has higher caffeine levels. You can easily tell the quality of matcha by it’s color - the more vivid and green the better quality of the tea.

Sencha
“Broiled tea” - Most common, everyday tea in Japan. This tea has almost a needle-shaped appearance and a dark green color. Sencha is first steam-pressed, then hot-air dried and lastly pan fired. It makes up about 3/4 of overall green tea production in Japan. The first flush of sencha is called Shincha meaning “new tea”. It’s hand-picked on the 43rd day of spring, thus is rare and enjoyed for only a brief period each year. Another variety of Sencha is Matcha-iri Sencha which is a mix of Matcha and Sencha.

Genmaicha
“Brown Rice tea” - Sometimes also called ‘popcorn tea’ is a blend of sencha and roasted brown rice (you can also find rice grains that have popped, which resemble popcorn). It gives a very aromatic and delicate light yellow color liquer. Originally it was a tea of the poor Japanese and the rice served as a filler for tea leaves, so the tea would be cheaper, but today it’s a widely popular tea. You might also come across Matcha-iri Genmaicha which is a blend of Genmaicha and Matcha and has both a stronger color and flavor then regular Genmaicha.

Gyokuro
“Jade Dew” - This is a shaded tea, which means that the tea plants are covered from the sun for a few weeks before harvest. This gives the final product a vivid and intense green color. Gyokuro is the highest grade of Japanese tea. It contains highest amounts of minerals and vitamins after Matcha.

Kabusecha
“Covered tea” - Similar to Gyokuro, but is only semi-shaded as it’s grown in about 45% shade and for a shorter period of time - 20 days before harvest. Has a more delicate flavor and is sweeter then Sencha.

Fukamushicha
“Deep Steamed tea” - Popular sencha, that undergoes a two or three times longer steaming process, which gives its leaves coarser shape and a less bitter taste. The infusion can be slightly misty. Sometimes called Hukamushi, but can be also marked as ‘Extra steamed Sencha’. This tea is rather unknown outside Japan.

Tamaryokucha
“Curly tea” - Tea with a berry-like, grassy, sweet taste and low in caffeine. It is processed in the same way as regular sencha, but at the last stage the leaves are rolled, which gives them the curly appearance. Comes from southern parts of Japan and is suitable for festive occasions. Another name for this tea is Guricha.

Hojicha hoojicha
“Roasted tea” - Consists of pan-fired or oven roasted Bancha or Sencha tea leaves, has a strong flavor and has little caffeine. Due to the low caffeine content it’s often served to hospital patients and children. This tea holds very little bitterness.

Kukicha
“Stalk tea” - Tea composed of tea plant stalks and twigs left from the production of Gyokuro and Sencha. The infusion is fresh and light. This tea is very similar to Hojicha, but it’s not roasted.

Bancha
“Common tea” - A lower grade of tea harvested in late summer beginning of autumn as a 3rd or 4th flush, with yellow color liqueur and deep, full flavor. Bancha is usually made of larger leaves, growing further down on the tea plant bush. Once very popular, but is now often replaced by Sencha. It also lacks the sweetness that Sencha has.

Kamairicha
“Pan-fried tea” - This tea does not undergo the regular steaming process, it has a short withering period and afterwards it’s fired in a hot iron pan in up to 300°C. They way Kamairicha is processed gives it’s leaves a flat appearance. Can also be referred to as ‘Chinese green tea’, because the pan-frying process in which the tea is processed came from China.

Mugicha
“Roasted Barley tea” - This is not a green tea and contains no camellia sinesis leaves. Corn is often added to the roasted barley to make this tea, which is quite popular in Japanese restaurants. Also called Boricha in Korean.

Mecha
“Buds and Tips tea” - As the translation implies this tea is made of buds and tips collected very early in the spring when the drops are still young. Has a deep flavor and a bitter aftertaste. Usually it’s graded between Gyokuro and Sencha. Mecha can be thought of as a high quality Sencha.

Less common teas

Aracha - This is raw tea. After harvest is is initially steamed or roasted and the moisture content is reduced to prevent oxidation. From here it will be sorted into Sencha, Kukicha etc. and further processed. Aracha is sold for consumption also but not readily available outside of Japan.

Asamushicha - Low-steamed leaves treated by soft steaming less than 30 seconds

Awabancha - During the summer, the tea leaves are picked, then boiled. After boiling the tea leaves, they are rubbed and placed in a barrel to ferment. They are then dried under the sun. The tea is made in Tokushima. It has a stale aroma

Dancha - Brick Tea that is steamed, mold-pressed & dried

Funsaicha - Pulverized yellowish green super-fine tea-powder made from ordinary non-shaded tea

Gabarancha - GamaAminoButyricAcid increased tea - fresh raw tea-leaves incubated in nitrogen gas (anaerobically treated) before ordinary manufacture for better hypotensive effect.

Goishicha - A post heating fermented tea made in Tosa. After fermenting and drying it is cut into small compressed cubes. It is used to drink and to make a tea porridge by some.

Hachijuhachiyacha - ”88th-night”- after ‘Risshun’ day is a tea picked around May 2. Provides great flavour and minimal bitterness for a high content of amino-acids.

Kancha - Cold-season tea that is steamed, non-rolled, sun-dried mature big leaves plucked in January.

Kenkoocha - Healthy Tea - processed tea leaves mixed with herbs.

Konbucha - Again, this is a beverage made not from tea leaves but from soaking konbu (seaweed kelp) in hot water. Often konbucha is brewed and reconstituted into a powder which can be mixed with hot water. Sometimes it is flavored with shiso leaves. It has a rather salty taste and is considered to be healthful.

Kokeicha - are pine needle-like shaped leaves with a soft, aromatic typical green tea taste. Manufactured according to a special process where the green tea is crushed into powder, apparently blended with rice starch, kneaded, extruded and finally dried.

Kuradashi-Sincha - Spring tea (best leaves)stored in temperature controlled warehouses after processing till Autumn.

Mizudashicha - This tea consists of Gyokuro or Sencha leaves broken in a way so that they can be infused in cold water, This is a tea for hot summer days.

Tencha - is a very special tea, that is quite rare even in Japan. Tencha is the base tea for making powdered Matcha. The color is dark green and the flakes of tea are unique. Tencha is made in the same way as gyokuro, but by drying without rolling. The brew is sweet and ethereal.

Tokumushicha - Specially deep-steamed leaf fragments, dispersed by extra-long (120sec) stir-steaming.

Ujicha - tea from a small town called Uji located in the Kyoto region

The Teatropolitan Times

anonymous said...

Haiku Contest at Ito-En Tee Company

お~いお茶新俳句大賞

ITO EN 伊藤園

http://www.itoen.co.jp/new-haiku/en/rules_regulations/index.html

Gabi Greve - Basho archives said...

富士の山蚤が茶臼の覆かな
Fuji no yama nomi ga chausu no ooi kana

Mount Fuji
like the tea-grinding mill
carried by the lice . . .

Matsuo Basho age 33
To compare Mount Fuji to a cha-usu, a mill for grinding tea leaves, has been done since olden times.

MORE
http://matsuobasho-wkd.blogspot.jp/2012/06/fuji-mount-fujisan.html

Gabi Greve - Edopedia said...

EDO

mugiyu ten 麦湯店 stalls serving "hot barley water"

Gabi Greve - Darumapedia said...

gaiwan 蓋碗
Gaiwan (Lidded Bowl) Tea Brewing

The “gaiwan,” which literally means lidded (gai) bowl (wan), is a handy and elegant tool to brew any type of loose tea. You can often see the gaiwan in portraits of historical figures or in movies about ancient China.

The invention of the gaiwan in the Ming dynasty (1644-1911) coincides with the drinking of loose tea leaves, rather than powdered tea. In the 1970s, customers in Hong Kong restaurants were served tea in these cups, rather than the big communal tea pots nowadays, so that every person could determine/adjust the strength of the infusion, by varying the brewing time, by him or herself. In those days, the quality of tea still mattered.

The gaiwan consist out of three parts: a lid, the bowl, and the saucer. Some say these respectively signify: heaven, man, and earth. This practical tea cup can be picked up from Chinatown for a couple of dollars or bought as an antique for several thousand dollars.

There are several ways to brew loose tea leaves in a gaiwan, depending on the type of tea. We will discuss two ways of tea brewing: the first way is suitable for lightly oxidized tea, such as green, yellow, and white tea. The other way is suitable for more oxidized teas such as oolong, black (or red), or Pu-erh tea.

The main reason why these tea types need a different way of brewing is because lightly oxidized teas have a lighter taste and can brew much longer than highly oxidized teas that have a lot of strength and can easily be overbrewed and as a result become bitter.

So one can directly drink these lightly oxidized tea from the cup (gaiwan), with the lid serving as a filter to prevent loose leaves entering one’s mouth while sipping. Heavier oxidized teas require the infusion to be poured into another vessel.

MORE
By Peter Valk

Anonymous said...

History of tea world wide
Did you know that tea dates back as far as 2737 BC ?
Or that more than 2.5 millions tons of tea a year is produced around the world.
Tea has a rich history, planted in over 40 countries, it has been a commodity, peoples livelihood and part of ancient rituals and traditions for years.
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https://www.finedininglovers.com/blog/food-drinks/food-infograhic-tea/
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Gabi Greve - Darumapedia said...

願成就院まで茶の花の匂ふ道
Ganjooju-In made cha no hana no niou michi

all the way
go Ganjoju-Ii the smell
of tea blossoms


下里美恵子 Shimosato Mieko

MORE about the temple
Ganjoojuin 願成就院 Ganjoju- In, Shizuoka
http://gokurakuparadies.blogspot.jp/2016/07/ganjoju-in-shizuoka.html
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Gabi Greve said...

山門を出れば日本ぞ茶摘うた
sanmon o dereba nihon zo chatsumi uta

Passed through the temple gate
Japan in front of me
Tea picking song.

..
Tagami Kikusha 田上菊舎
.
the temple Manpuku-Ji
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https://wkdhaikutopics.blogspot.jp/2007/03/tagami-kikusha.html
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