Tea tasting: White Leaf Tea Zairai (Sugiyama Tadashi)

I managed to discover yet another hakuyoucha (white leaf tea) this year. It is really exciting. Hakuyoucha seems to range from really white-coloured leaves to yellow-coloured leaves. This has been a topic of interest to me since last year, even though my knowledge of it is still fuzzy. As I have previously mentioned in my …

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Tea tasting: Hoiro-shiki Gyokuro (Konomien)

Literally roast-style gyokuro, this gyokuro from Yame, Fukuoka is processed using a traditional method of hand-kneading tea leaves while roasting them over charcoal on a wooden box-like workstation with a flat surface. This is known as hoiro. Hoiro is also used to produce hand-rolled tea. In processing and refining this tea using the hoiro, three …

Second virtual tea tour of Higashi-Sonogi

This was the second virtual tour organised by Nagasaki Ikedoki Tea Project in its aim to promote the tea region of Higashi-Sonogi in northern Nagasaki prefecture. Even though I have taken part in the first one, I found myself signing up for this after Ikedoki posted about the possibility of seeing sunset in the afternoon …

World of Japanese Tea webinar

"World of Japanese Tea - a message for ASEAN customers" was a one-hour free webinar held earlier this afternoon, as a side event in conjunction with the Virtual Selangor International Expo 2020. I saw it being shared on Facebook last week, and since Thursday is my usual off day, I immediately signed up for it. …

Special Focus on Shizuoka: Tea farmstays in Kawane

One of the best ways to experience the inaka or rural Japan is to stay and interact with the locals. In many parts of Japan, there are opportunities for farmstays, which are basically homestay in farms. Some are part of mid-term or long-term programmes such as agricultural internships, while some offer short-term stays. Most farmstays …

Teatime snack: Kyaraimo Cube Kinako

Today, October 1, is unofficially designated as Nihoncha no Hi (Japanese Tea Day) in Japan. It is also mid-autumn, and what better way to celebrate the occasion than to enjoy a seasonal snack with tea? Before anyone asks, yes I know it should be time for Chinese-style mooncakes. But my household has not been buying …