Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Changes...
A lot has happened since I last wrote here! I traveled to Japan and Taiwan. I spent over five months researching material for my first book in India. I stopped by London for a bit, and revisited my former hometown of NYC. And, oh yeah, I set up a new website that reflects my current body of work and introduces you to some of my collaborators: Copy & Taste. Enjoy!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Japan Trip
My trip to Japan was a success! I'm still catching up, both from the two weeks away from my usual tea work and with writing about what I learned during the trip. For now, here are a few tea highlights from the trip:
* Learned to brew super-premium gyokuro & sencha the old-school way.
* Hung out with organic tea farmers who market directly to clients (a rare thing in the Japanese world of tea agents, wholesalers, retailers, etc.). Harvested bamboo shoots, wild mountain herbs and tea with them.
* Tasted Japanese kocha (black tea, also very rare).
* Went to a tea museum in Shizuoka. It left me far more impressed than my visit to London's tea museum.
* Tasted more tea-based foods than I can even remember. Learned that if it's a greenish pastry, it probably has matcha in it.
* Saw what I'm gonna go ahead and call the most beautiful tea shop in the world. Three floors of dizzying caffeine highs and absurd attention to design detail. Drank delicious koicha (thick matcha), usucha (thin matcha) and ocha-presso (sencha brewed like espresso) amongst the gorgeous sights there.
* Interviewed a tea researcher whose institution discovered theanine, an amazing sado (Japanese tea ceremony) specialist from one of the revered (but lesser-known outside Japan) tea families, multiple tea farmers (one of whom started a collective to fight for fair tea prices and increase organic production), a chanoyu museum curator, a famous tea production expert, people from one of Kyoto's most famous tea shops and other amazing tea people.
* Got my mind blown on multiple occasions, including a visit to a tiny tea shop in Kyoto (it looks humble, but was amazing enough to be featured in the French Michellin Guide) and a chic Tokyo tea cafe (where the tea sommelier is perhaps geekier than me about tea -- he even designed a custom tea brewing vessel for his cafe that's unlike any I've ever seen).
And here are a few non-tea-related highlights:
* Visited "Okonomiyaki Street," where most of the restaurants serve pizza-like okonomiyaki or its gooier relative munja. My friend Yuka (who works for one of Japan's top restauranteurs) and I ate at one of those you-make-it kinds of restaurants. She brought her okonomiyaki-making skills on in full force. Sooo good...
* Made new friends and reconnected with old ones. Had a great time hanging out with a long-time tea penpal (who makes an iced tea that tastes like a gin gimlet) and with several close friends from high school/college.
* Saw a massive protest in the yakuza part of Tokyo. Apparently this kind of thing is quite rare in Japan, so it's unusual that I saw it during such a brief trip there.
* Ate raw egg, natto and other crazy (and often slimy) foods.
* Talked food politics with farmers, tea retailers, a bottled drink blender, tea auction buyers and various restaurant industry people.
One of the things that struck me the most about this trip wasn't actually the trip itself. It's the uniformity of the response from almost everyone I've mentioned it to. Almost every person said something along the lines of, "I'm so envious!" To that, my response is this:
Japan is not that difficult of a travel destination. Most signs are in English. It's very safe and clean. If you're connected in the tea industry, you can meet enough people to make the trip very educational and enjoyable, and relatively inexpensive. If not, you can still have a great time. Also, if you live on the West coast, there are some very reasonable deals for flights. (I got a direct flight to and from Portland for about $800.) And, if money is an issue, there are deals to be had through youth hostels, work-live experiences, sales and the like. Honestly, the most difficult thing for me was the jet lag, and even that was OK on the way there. So if you really want to go to Japan, stop wishing you could do it and make it happen!
Side note -- You can see some of the treats I picked up on my About Coffee/Tea blog. I've posted about green tea caramels, green tea yokan (a gift from my tea penpal friend), green tea bath salts (which I gave to my mom) and three kinds of tea toothpaste. Other tea finds included all kinds of wagashi, green tea Kit Kats (which I'll review on About) and some new crop green teas that were harvested during my visit.
* Learned to brew super-premium gyokuro & sencha the old-school way.
* Hung out with organic tea farmers who market directly to clients (a rare thing in the Japanese world of tea agents, wholesalers, retailers, etc.). Harvested bamboo shoots, wild mountain herbs and tea with them.
* Tasted Japanese kocha (black tea, also very rare).
* Went to a tea museum in Shizuoka. It left me far more impressed than my visit to London's tea museum.
* Tasted more tea-based foods than I can even remember. Learned that if it's a greenish pastry, it probably has matcha in it.
* Saw what I'm gonna go ahead and call the most beautiful tea shop in the world. Three floors of dizzying caffeine highs and absurd attention to design detail. Drank delicious koicha (thick matcha), usucha (thin matcha) and ocha-presso (sencha brewed like espresso) amongst the gorgeous sights there.
* Interviewed a tea researcher whose institution discovered theanine, an amazing sado (Japanese tea ceremony) specialist from one of the revered (but lesser-known outside Japan) tea families, multiple tea farmers (one of whom started a collective to fight for fair tea prices and increase organic production), a chanoyu museum curator, a famous tea production expert, people from one of Kyoto's most famous tea shops and other amazing tea people.
* Got my mind blown on multiple occasions, including a visit to a tiny tea shop in Kyoto (it looks humble, but was amazing enough to be featured in the French Michellin Guide) and a chic Tokyo tea cafe (where the tea sommelier is perhaps geekier than me about tea -- he even designed a custom tea brewing vessel for his cafe that's unlike any I've ever seen).
And here are a few non-tea-related highlights:
* Visited "Okonomiyaki Street," where most of the restaurants serve pizza-like okonomiyaki or its gooier relative munja. My friend Yuka (who works for one of Japan's top restauranteurs) and I ate at one of those you-make-it kinds of restaurants. She brought her okonomiyaki-making skills on in full force. Sooo good...
* Made new friends and reconnected with old ones. Had a great time hanging out with a long-time tea penpal (who makes an iced tea that tastes like a gin gimlet) and with several close friends from high school/college.
* Saw a massive protest in the yakuza part of Tokyo. Apparently this kind of thing is quite rare in Japan, so it's unusual that I saw it during such a brief trip there.
* Ate raw egg, natto and other crazy (and often slimy) foods.
* Talked food politics with farmers, tea retailers, a bottled drink blender, tea auction buyers and various restaurant industry people.
One of the things that struck me the most about this trip wasn't actually the trip itself. It's the uniformity of the response from almost everyone I've mentioned it to. Almost every person said something along the lines of, "I'm so envious!" To that, my response is this:
Japan is not that difficult of a travel destination. Most signs are in English. It's very safe and clean. If you're connected in the tea industry, you can meet enough people to make the trip very educational and enjoyable, and relatively inexpensive. If not, you can still have a great time. Also, if you live on the West coast, there are some very reasonable deals for flights. (I got a direct flight to and from Portland for about $800.) And, if money is an issue, there are deals to be had through youth hostels, work-live experiences, sales and the like. Honestly, the most difficult thing for me was the jet lag, and even that was OK on the way there. So if you really want to go to Japan, stop wishing you could do it and make it happen!
Side note -- You can see some of the treats I picked up on my About Coffee/Tea blog. I've posted about green tea caramels, green tea yokan (a gift from my tea penpal friend), green tea bath salts (which I gave to my mom) and three kinds of tea toothpaste. Other tea finds included all kinds of wagashi, green tea Kit Kats (which I'll review on About) and some new crop green teas that were harvested during my visit.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tea in Japan
I'm about to fly out to Japan for first flush. Trip highlights include visiting tea farms, drinking lots of fresh tea, tasting fresh wagashi and visiting a dear friend in Tokyo. I'll update on Twitter (@LindseyAtVeeTea) whenever possible and write more when I return. For now, sayonara!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Commercials: Coffee vs Tea
I am increasingly realizing how absurdly outpaced tea ads are by coffee ads. Even in the 1980s (before specialty coffee was popular), there was this Coffee Association Commercial featuring celebrities like David Bowie. More recently, there have been a number of ads in the U.S. and the rest of the Western world featuring coffee as a drug-like substance that is either necessary to function or illicit and (therefore) sexy. Examples:
WNBA coffee commercial makes coffee look like the key to a successful life and links it to skill in sports.
European coffee commercial features coffee as a necessary supplement for daily functioning.
Eastern European (possibly Russian?) Starbucks commercial makes life without coffee absurd and potentially dangerous.
Secret society coffee commercial shows a sexy, exclusive side of coffee.
Cinderella coffee shows coffee as romantic and fated.
How do Western tea ads compete?
Snapple white tea ad portrays tea as simple. (Seriously? Come on...)
Spanish tea commercial shows tea as whimsical. (Meh.)
Lipton ice tea ad makes tea seem like a feel-good, taste-good choice (and is my favorite of the tea Western commercials I've found for that reason).
A different Lipton commercial shows tea as a Zen mind-body-spirit lifter and as an escape from the everyday. (Not bad.)
Lipton also shows tea as refreshing, psychedelic and even sexy, which puts it in competition with coffee. That's important in markets like Portugal (where it was screened and coffee is more prevalent than tea).
From what I can tell, this Pickwick tea ad shows tea as Zen yet urgent. I think it's funny if you know the language (I don't), but it shows a monk grimacing when he sips the tea at the end. (SALES FAIL. ... Or tea and casting fail? Perhaps it's that bad and the guy can't act through the immense badness.)
Of course, there are some cool tea commercials coming out of Asia (notably the weird Mugi-Cha commercial and the cute caterpillar commercial), but these days there are even better Asian coffee ads:
Celebrity coffee ad shows coffee as desirable and more important to reporters than what a famous person has to say.
David Lynch coffee commercial makes coffee mysterious and (seemingly) more important than a missing woman. (There's a whole series of these on YouTube.)
And... Brad Pitt is in not one but TWO Japanese coffee commercials. Need I say more?
Beyond just ads, a popular South Korean drama is based in a coffee shop run by actor/model heartthrob Gong Yoo. (Here, he's in a coffee ad, but re: the show... Talk about product placement!) In Asia, coffee has become hip, edgy, alluringly exotic, cool. Too bad tea hasn't managed to do that on a bigger level here yet!
Tea industry, we have to be able to compete! These ads are WAY better than our ads and (as you can see) they've been around for much longer (in the U.S.) and are way edgier (around the world). Part of the issue is money, as you can learn in somebody's Powerpoint presentation on coffee advertising budgets, but part of it is an issue of cultural identification. We need to finally embrace the idea that tea is cool (at least in the U.S.)! After all, which is the unusual, exotic beverage (in the U.S.)? Which makes you feel better for longer? Which is embraced by tech rock stars like Kevin Rose? Which is the beverage of choice of foodies in-the-know? We can do this, people. I want to see innovation! After all, you weren't attracted to tea because it was the same-old thing, right? Why make commercials that make it seem like something boring that you only drink for health? Or just another goofy ad for another random product?
(Side note one: I'll probably post some weird tea commercials from Asia soon. (There are plenty to choose from.) Look out for it!
Side note two: If you can't do ads, at LEAST do press releases. Don't have time? I write them. Contact me at vee (at) veetea (dot) com for details.)
WNBA coffee commercial makes coffee look like the key to a successful life and links it to skill in sports.
European coffee commercial features coffee as a necessary supplement for daily functioning.
Eastern European (possibly Russian?) Starbucks commercial makes life without coffee absurd and potentially dangerous.
Secret society coffee commercial shows a sexy, exclusive side of coffee.
Cinderella coffee shows coffee as romantic and fated.
How do Western tea ads compete?
Snapple white tea ad portrays tea as simple. (Seriously? Come on...)
Spanish tea commercial shows tea as whimsical. (Meh.)
Lipton ice tea ad makes tea seem like a feel-good, taste-good choice (and is my favorite of the tea Western commercials I've found for that reason).
A different Lipton commercial shows tea as a Zen mind-body-spirit lifter and as an escape from the everyday. (Not bad.)
Lipton also shows tea as refreshing, psychedelic and even sexy, which puts it in competition with coffee. That's important in markets like Portugal (where it was screened and coffee is more prevalent than tea).
From what I can tell, this Pickwick tea ad shows tea as Zen yet urgent. I think it's funny if you know the language (I don't), but it shows a monk grimacing when he sips the tea at the end. (SALES FAIL. ... Or tea and casting fail? Perhaps it's that bad and the guy can't act through the immense badness.)
Of course, there are some cool tea commercials coming out of Asia (notably the weird Mugi-Cha commercial and the cute caterpillar commercial), but these days there are even better Asian coffee ads:
Celebrity coffee ad shows coffee as desirable and more important to reporters than what a famous person has to say.
David Lynch coffee commercial makes coffee mysterious and (seemingly) more important than a missing woman. (There's a whole series of these on YouTube.)
And... Brad Pitt is in not one but TWO Japanese coffee commercials. Need I say more?
Beyond just ads, a popular South Korean drama is based in a coffee shop run by actor/model heartthrob Gong Yoo. (Here, he's in a coffee ad, but re: the show... Talk about product placement!) In Asia, coffee has become hip, edgy, alluringly exotic, cool. Too bad tea hasn't managed to do that on a bigger level here yet!
Tea industry, we have to be able to compete! These ads are WAY better than our ads and (as you can see) they've been around for much longer (in the U.S.) and are way edgier (around the world). Part of the issue is money, as you can learn in somebody's Powerpoint presentation on coffee advertising budgets, but part of it is an issue of cultural identification. We need to finally embrace the idea that tea is cool (at least in the U.S.)! After all, which is the unusual, exotic beverage (in the U.S.)? Which makes you feel better for longer? Which is embraced by tech rock stars like Kevin Rose? Which is the beverage of choice of foodies in-the-know? We can do this, people. I want to see innovation! After all, you weren't attracted to tea because it was the same-old thing, right? Why make commercials that make it seem like something boring that you only drink for health? Or just another goofy ad for another random product?
(Side note one: I'll probably post some weird tea commercials from Asia soon. (There are plenty to choose from.) Look out for it!
Side note two: If you can't do ads, at LEAST do press releases. Don't have time? I write them. Contact me at vee (at) veetea (dot) com for details.)
Thursday, April 9, 2009
World Tea Expo
After attending an awesome webinar today (Charles Cain talking about how to purchase tea), I'm am getting really excited about the upcoming World Tea Expo. I'll be attending classes, interviewing some top tea experts, watching demos, writing for the show dailies, leading a tearoom owners' roundtable and orchestrating a TweetUp (follow me on Twitter to attend). My classes are:
Hire & Keep Great Employees (A challenge for most businesses, tea or otherwise...)
Focused Tasting: Oolong (I went to last year's oolong tasting an wanted to go again. Oolong is such an amazing tea!)
Focused Tasting: Puer (Attended Guang Lee's (non-tasting) session on puer last year and wanted to learn more, especially after writing about puer for World Tea News.)
Sell Your Tea Online Successfully (One of their most popular classes. I can see why!)
Skill Building: Japanese Green Tea Cupping (With the fabulous Ms. Rona Tison of ITO EN -- I'm sure it will be amazing!)
Model a Successful Teashop (With Charles Cain. Once again, I'm sure it will be great.)
Price It Right and Sell it Smart (I think this is an important topic, especially now. Can't wait to learn more!)
When we're closer to the event itself, I'll tell you more about who all I'm interviewing. Hint: It's going to be awesome!
Are you attending? What are you taking? What are you looking forward to the most?
Hire & Keep Great Employees (A challenge for most businesses, tea or otherwise...)
Focused Tasting: Oolong (I went to last year's oolong tasting an wanted to go again. Oolong is such an amazing tea!)
Focused Tasting: Puer (Attended Guang Lee's (non-tasting) session on puer last year and wanted to learn more, especially after writing about puer for World Tea News.)
Sell Your Tea Online Successfully (One of their most popular classes. I can see why!)
Skill Building: Japanese Green Tea Cupping (With the fabulous Ms. Rona Tison of ITO EN -- I'm sure it will be amazing!)
Model a Successful Teashop (With Charles Cain. Once again, I'm sure it will be great.)
Price It Right and Sell it Smart (I think this is an important topic, especially now. Can't wait to learn more!)
When we're closer to the event itself, I'll tell you more about who all I'm interviewing. Hint: It's going to be awesome!
Are you attending? What are you taking? What are you looking forward to the most?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Hanami -- The Cherry Blossom Festival
As I recently said in the Samovar blog, I planned a hanami celebration with some friends. It was incredibly windy on the day of, so although we made matcha, it was left undocumented. Here are a few photos we DID manage to snap. I hope you enjoy them, and take the time to welcome spring with your friends!
We celebrated at my favorite park in Charlotte -- Freedom Park. Here's the view near the entrance.
Here's the view from our barbecue spot.
Veggie Yakitori + FIRE
===============
Happy Vee! (If you look closely, you can see my hubby, Marko, reflected in my sunglasses.)
Maybe it's just that I was very happy, but it also seemed that the ducks and ducklings were enjoying the weather. :)
Hanami Crew
Andrea drinking matcha. She'd never tried it before, nor had Adam (also pictured).
The willow tree near our barbecue was lovely, but...
... we came for the cherry blossoms!
We found a nice spot to enjoy our veggie yakitori/kabob-type food (yum!) and assorted sushi (veg + otherwise) from our fave local sushi joint, Ru San's (nothing fancy, but very fun -- fusion rolls like walnuts and Sriracha hot sauce).
Later, we ate wagashi (higashi, matcha agar and youkan) and played soccer. (Below) Marko (our official photographer and my beloved) kicking our collective butts with his Eastern European soccer skills.
We celebrated at my favorite park in Charlotte -- Freedom Park. Here's the view near the entrance.
Here's the view from our barbecue spot.
Veggie Yakitori + FIRE
===============
Happy Vee! (If you look closely, you can see my hubby, Marko, reflected in my sunglasses.)
Maybe it's just that I was very happy, but it also seemed that the ducks and ducklings were enjoying the weather. :)
Hanami Crew
Andrea drinking matcha. She'd never tried it before, nor had Adam (also pictured).
The willow tree near our barbecue was lovely, but...
... we came for the cherry blossoms!
We found a nice spot to enjoy our veggie yakitori/kabob-type food (yum!) and assorted sushi (veg + otherwise) from our fave local sushi joint, Ru San's (nothing fancy, but very fun -- fusion rolls like walnuts and Sriracha hot sauce).
Later, we ate wagashi (higashi, matcha agar and youkan) and played soccer. (Below) Marko (our official photographer and my beloved) kicking our collective butts with his Eastern European soccer skills.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sen So'Oku, Chanoyu "Rock Star"
I recently had the chance to interview tea master Sen So'Oku, who Rona Tison ("The Matriarch of ITO EN") dubbed a tea "rock star." Fun! Here's an excerpt (where WTN = me):
WTN: Have the reasons for studying tea changed?
Sen: Several generations ago, people learned the way of tea to learn etiquette and how to behave, but today people are interested in learning in order to acquire knowledge about tea and art, in order to enjoy.
WTN: Is there a renaissance of tea culture in Japan?
Sen: There is a lot of interest in tea. Magazines for young people that have nothing to do with traditional art and tea are doing stories about tea ceremonies. You could call it trendy or a mini-boom, but there are many people in creative businesses, like art directors, art curators or artists, who want to get involved in tea.
WTN: Is chanoyu more expressive than it was?
Sen: There was a time when the tea ceremony was very rigid and people’s impression of it was very formal, so young people especially didn’t like it and stayed away from it. That attitude is changing. Now, you can be creative with tea. In order to make a new style or be expressive, you have to have the basic form. I think there will be two directions of tea in the future. One direction is, you keep and protect the tradition of tea. The other is to enjoy the tea in a contemporary setting, to make a special moment in ordinary life.
You can read the full article on World Tea News. He'll be presenting at the World Tea Expo. I saw his lecture and demo at The Japan Center in NYC and I highly recommend you check him out in Vegas!
PS -- It looks like I am a finalist for Top Tea Cocktail, though the final results will be announced next week. Thanks to all of you who voted and passed on the link!!!
WTN: Have the reasons for studying tea changed?
Sen: Several generations ago, people learned the way of tea to learn etiquette and how to behave, but today people are interested in learning in order to acquire knowledge about tea and art, in order to enjoy.
WTN: Is there a renaissance of tea culture in Japan?
Sen: There is a lot of interest in tea. Magazines for young people that have nothing to do with traditional art and tea are doing stories about tea ceremonies. You could call it trendy or a mini-boom, but there are many people in creative businesses, like art directors, art curators or artists, who want to get involved in tea.
WTN: Is chanoyu more expressive than it was?
Sen: There was a time when the tea ceremony was very rigid and people’s impression of it was very formal, so young people especially didn’t like it and stayed away from it. That attitude is changing. Now, you can be creative with tea. In order to make a new style or be expressive, you have to have the basic form. I think there will be two directions of tea in the future. One direction is, you keep and protect the tradition of tea. The other is to enjoy the tea in a contemporary setting, to make a special moment in ordinary life.
You can read the full article on World Tea News. He'll be presenting at the World Tea Expo. I saw his lecture and demo at The Japan Center in NYC and I highly recommend you check him out in Vegas!
PS -- It looks like I am a finalist for Top Tea Cocktail, though the final results will be announced next week. Thanks to all of you who voted and passed on the link!!!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Japanese Tea Gifts
A lovely tea friend from Japan recently sent me some fantastic tea-related gifts! I thought I'd share a few with you here.
Lupicia Teas -- Outer Packaging
Lupicia Teas -- Inner Packaging
(Clockwise from Bottom Left) Tea Stickers, Kaishi (Japanese tea ceremony napkin-type papers), matcha sweets (pictured last), paper crane paper (How Postmodern!), a teapot/teacup cloth napkin, kyusu (teapot) chopstick rests (bottom) and a teacup-covered napkin (center)
Tea candies, a geisha postcard and youkan (delicious red bean/agar-agar sweets -- Oishi! (Delicious!))
A tasty matcha-based desert. I paired it with sencha. Yum!
Lupicia Teas -- Outer Packaging
Lupicia Teas -- Inner Packaging
(Clockwise from Bottom Left) Tea Stickers, Kaishi (Japanese tea ceremony napkin-type papers), matcha sweets (pictured last), paper crane paper (How Postmodern!), a teapot/teacup cloth napkin, kyusu (teapot) chopstick rests (bottom) and a teacup-covered napkin (center)
Tea candies, a geisha postcard and youkan (delicious red bean/agar-agar sweets -- Oishi! (Delicious!))
A tasty matcha-based desert. I paired it with sencha. Yum!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Modern Teaism
Last night, I saw a lecture on Modern Teaism at the Japan Society. Fascinating! It was given by Sen So'oku, who Rona Tison (of ITO EN) refers to as a sort of "tea rock star." He is really shaking things up in the tea community of Japan by trying to place the tea ceremony into the context of everyday life while elevating its status so it is special without being extraordinary, rather than the other way around. Great stuff! He was introduced (and joined in tea) with Ellis Avery, the author of The Teahouse Fire. I had the chance to interview Sen So'oku and hope to interview Ellis Avery soon. More on that later!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
ITO EN Kai Visit
I have a confession to make. Although I have lived in NYC for 2.5 years, drunk tea around the globe, written extensively on tea in NYC and tried many an ITO EN tea, I had never actually been to Kai (ITO EN's flagship store restaurant) before this week. You see, if tea is not a separate item on the menu, I often just skip the venue. Now I know that (unless you just hate amazing Japanese food) this is not a valid excuse. Fortunately, I do NOT hate amazing Japanese food; in fact, I love it. Although I generally have a strict vegetarian diet (no chicken broth, nothing with gelatin, etc.), I have made occasional exceptions for seafood over the last four years thanks to the irresistible nature of seafood in Japanese cuisine. Kai was one of those welcome exceptions. I'm sure you'll see why!
The orchid on each table and the very Wabi Sabi bamboo hot-towel holders visually kicked off the attention to detail that was present throughout the meal. The decor was lovely -- I was particularly enamored with a washi (Japanese handmade paper) hanging that could be seen in the restaurant and the store.
The Kai bento box (for me) and the sushi-tempura lunch (which my friend Evan adored). Before this arrived at the table, we were both served fantastic miso and I was served wonderfully creamy silken tofu with spring onions and ginger. Yum!
Here are some of the goodies from the bento box. The salmon was absolutely amazing. You can't see it in the second photo, but there are two cubes of steak behind the grilled fish. I gave those to Evan. There is also some tempura-fried pumpkin and lotus root hidden in the first photo. Yum!
Throughout the meal, we were served houjicha, which was a perfect pairing for some of the stronger flavors in the meal (wasabi, tempura-fried green pepper, grilled fish). I loved the leaf coasters for the teacups. The silverware pictured here was for the dessert. The forks remind me of some of the handcrafted silver from Penland School of Crafts.
The assorted sweets were a satisfying visual and culinary finish to a delightful meal. They were: yuzu cheesecake (great texture; loved the bits of yuzu zest in it), chocolate cake (rich and creamy with a bit of crunch from a whole walnut), fruit jelly (slightly-sweet agar with fresh fruit, fresh mint and bits of gold), matcha almond (I kid you not, these are legendary. I'm talking cult following here.), raspberry sauce accent.
I wish I knew enough Japanese to give ITO EN an articulate thank you for this meal, but for now I'll just say "Oishii!" (Delicious!)
PS -- ITO EN has a well-curated selection of loose-leaf teas available through their flagship store and online. Expect to pay top dollar and receive top quality. In the past I've bought their Qing Ming Dragonwell, Makaibari Muscatel, Ureshino Tama Ryokucha and Taiping Houkui, all of which were amazing, and this time I bought a magnificent Uji Sencha (a store exclusive that has the marine notes and richness of Uji Gyokuro with the softer, sweeter notes of sencha) and their Linden tisane (which I have yet to try, though in general I love Linden, and the fact that it's where my name comes from). I also bought their new Oolong Shot, which is served hot or cold. I tried it hot, and quite liked it for an RTD.
The orchid on each table and the very Wabi Sabi bamboo hot-towel holders visually kicked off the attention to detail that was present throughout the meal. The decor was lovely -- I was particularly enamored with a washi (Japanese handmade paper) hanging that could be seen in the restaurant and the store.
The Kai bento box (for me) and the sushi-tempura lunch (which my friend Evan adored). Before this arrived at the table, we were both served fantastic miso and I was served wonderfully creamy silken tofu with spring onions and ginger. Yum!
Here are some of the goodies from the bento box. The salmon was absolutely amazing. You can't see it in the second photo, but there are two cubes of steak behind the grilled fish. I gave those to Evan. There is also some tempura-fried pumpkin and lotus root hidden in the first photo. Yum!
Throughout the meal, we were served houjicha, which was a perfect pairing for some of the stronger flavors in the meal (wasabi, tempura-fried green pepper, grilled fish). I loved the leaf coasters for the teacups. The silverware pictured here was for the dessert. The forks remind me of some of the handcrafted silver from Penland School of Crafts.
The assorted sweets were a satisfying visual and culinary finish to a delightful meal. They were: yuzu cheesecake (great texture; loved the bits of yuzu zest in it), chocolate cake (rich and creamy with a bit of crunch from a whole walnut), fruit jelly (slightly-sweet agar with fresh fruit, fresh mint and bits of gold), matcha almond (I kid you not, these are legendary. I'm talking cult following here.), raspberry sauce accent.
I wish I knew enough Japanese to give ITO EN an articulate thank you for this meal, but for now I'll just say "Oishii!" (Delicious!)
PS -- ITO EN has a well-curated selection of loose-leaf teas available through their flagship store and online. Expect to pay top dollar and receive top quality. In the past I've bought their Qing Ming Dragonwell, Makaibari Muscatel, Ureshino Tama Ryokucha and Taiping Houkui, all of which were amazing, and this time I bought a magnificent Uji Sencha (a store exclusive that has the marine notes and richness of Uji Gyokuro with the softer, sweeter notes of sencha) and their Linden tisane (which I have yet to try, though in general I love Linden, and the fact that it's where my name comes from). I also bought their new Oolong Shot, which is served hot or cold. I tried it hot, and quite liked it for an RTD.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Non-September Wagashi
During a recent interview with professional wagashi-maker Marybeth Welch, I learned a lot about wagashi, which are Japanese sweets used in tea ceremonies. Wagashi are usually made for specific seasons. Aside from the fact that most are extremely perishable, they tend to use stylized icons to represent the upcoming season. Sometimes, they also use seasonal ingredients, like sweet chestnut. The September wagashi I posted about on Monday were a classic version of the namagashi (40% water) style of wagashi in that they were made with only rice paste, sugar and red beans (azuki, ground into a paste in this case, but sometimes left with whole beans intact). Another popular type of namagashi is yokan, which is sometimes (rather incorrectly) referred to as a "jelly" candy. It's much denser than a jelly, and it's more shelf-stable than other types of namagashi. Here's an ACTUAL jelly candy, which is made with kanten (or agar agar, a sort of vegetarian gelatin):
Cute!!! Each element of the flower basket was a separate piece of candy. It's a type of hanamagashi, which are similar to namagashi, but are dryer (20-30% water) and more shelf-stable.
The last main type of traditional wagashi is higashi, or dry sweets (10% water). They keep much longer than other types, and most are pressed or spun sugar, like this:
(Please note: The remainder of this post is information I found on my own, so blame me and not Marybeth if anything is wrong!)
In Kyoto, there are local wagashi called kyogashi. Here are two from famed wagashi-maker Suetomi:
There are lots of other types of Japanese sweets that may be influenced by other cultures or just less traditional. They're often called kashi, which just means "sweets." Here's one of hard candy kashi:
See the guy with the glasses pictured in the candy? He looks like my boyfriend! (Kerry, if you're reading this, don't you agree?)
I'm looking forward to learning more about wagashi through Urasenke Chanoyu in the future. For now I'm still practicing my bowing, cloth folding and other basics. :)
Cute!!! Each element of the flower basket was a separate piece of candy. It's a type of hanamagashi, which are similar to namagashi, but are dryer (20-30% water) and more shelf-stable.
The last main type of traditional wagashi is higashi, or dry sweets (10% water). They keep much longer than other types, and most are pressed or spun sugar, like this:
(Please note: The remainder of this post is information I found on my own, so blame me and not Marybeth if anything is wrong!)
In Kyoto, there are local wagashi called kyogashi. Here are two from famed wagashi-maker Suetomi:
There are lots of other types of Japanese sweets that may be influenced by other cultures or just less traditional. They're often called kashi, which just means "sweets." Here's one of hard candy kashi:
See the guy with the glasses pictured in the candy? He looks like my boyfriend! (Kerry, if you're reading this, don't you agree?)
I'm looking forward to learning more about wagashi through Urasenke Chanoyu in the future. For now I'm still practicing my bowing, cloth folding and other basics. :)
Monday, September 15, 2008
September Wagashi
My good friend, video blogger Tajee, recently visited me from Tokyo and gave me some delicious September-themed wagashi, which includes images of rabbits and an orange moon. They're filled with rice paste and they're oishi (delicious), especially with Japanese green tea!
The wrapping was, as one might expect from a gift wrapped in Japan, gorgeous. Here's the outer wrapper with images of rabbits and the moon:
The second layer, with images of (and I'm guessing here) flowers and grasses (Please let me know if you think otherwise):
The simpler and quite lovely inner box, with text that most likely says the brand and/or product name:
Thanks, Tajee for the fantastic visit, and for the tasty wagashi!!! It was great to see you (as always!) and I hope to visit you in Japan soon!!!
PS -- I'm going to be posting about tea sweets all week. Between a few samples, the gift from Tajee and a box of wagashi I opened in preparation for my classes at Urasenke Chanoyu, I'm on a tea sweets kick!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tea Sommeliers
I often have people ask me what "tea sommelier" means. My writing buddy Elin Headrick answers the question very well in her new article, Sommeliers Break Out of the Bottle on World Tea News. Excerpt:
Of French origin, sommelier means “wine steward” and has come to be associated with a high level of expertise. It makes sense to apply the term to tea, many believe, because of the cultivated palate required to discern subtleties in different varieties of tea.
Some of the best known tea sommeliers in the United States today are found in large, cosmopolitan hotels: the Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, the Phoenix Ritz Carlton and the Park Hyatt in Washington, D.C. They educate guests on the hotels’ extensive selections of tea and help develop an appreciation for the drink.
Asked what it takes to succeed in their emerging field, these tea sommeliers agreed that it requires a mix of knowledge about tea – acquired through travel and study – and hospitality skills.
You can read more of Elin's article here. On a semi-related note, Elin just had a beautiful, healthy baby a few weeks back (and can now drink as much caffeine as she wants again)! Congrats, Elin!
PS -- My class at Urasenke Chanoyu yesterday was fascinating! I'll tell you more about it as it progresses.
Of French origin, sommelier means “wine steward” and has come to be associated with a high level of expertise. It makes sense to apply the term to tea, many believe, because of the cultivated palate required to discern subtleties in different varieties of tea.
Some of the best known tea sommeliers in the United States today are found in large, cosmopolitan hotels: the Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, the Phoenix Ritz Carlton and the Park Hyatt in Washington, D.C. They educate guests on the hotels’ extensive selections of tea and help develop an appreciation for the drink.
Asked what it takes to succeed in their emerging field, these tea sommeliers agreed that it requires a mix of knowledge about tea – acquired through travel and study – and hospitality skills.
You can read more of Elin's article here. On a semi-related note, Elin just had a beautiful, healthy baby a few weeks back (and can now drink as much caffeine as she wants again)! Congrats, Elin!
PS -- My class at Urasenke Chanoyu yesterday was fascinating! I'll tell you more about it as it progresses.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Can you read Japanese?
If so, check out this new blog by my tea friend in Japan! We send teas to each other that are easily found in one place, but harder to find in the other. She also sent me the tea seeds I sent to some of you. Even if you don't read Japanese, it's worth taking a look -- she has some good photos up.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Tea and Robbery
Recently, I happened to see two articles about tea and, of all things, robbery. How odd! I thought it warranted a post.
The first article I saw was during research for my recent review of Tea & Sympathy Tearoom. It's a profile of a businessperson, but it tells a story about his father's experience with tea, sympathy and robbery. (You need to log in to the New York Times to read it.)
The second item was something I ran across while researching iced tea for a company's blog I work on. It was a recent news item about a woman in Japan who stopped a robbery with iced tea.
It's amazing how tea can serve as such a strong way of recognizing the humanity in others. Of course, this is part of the theme in Samovar's Passage to Peace video podcast series, but that's another story!
The first article I saw was during research for my recent review of Tea & Sympathy Tearoom. It's a profile of a businessperson, but it tells a story about his father's experience with tea, sympathy and robbery. (You need to log in to the New York Times to read it.)
The second item was something I ran across while researching iced tea for a company's blog I work on. It was a recent news item about a woman in Japan who stopped a robbery with iced tea.
It's amazing how tea can serve as such a strong way of recognizing the humanity in others. Of course, this is part of the theme in Samovar's Passage to Peace video podcast series, but that's another story!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Shincha is Here!
Ito En recently announced the arrival of their coveted Shincha, or Japanese spring tea. It is a fresh and (I think) delicious first flush green tea that tea aficionados tend to get dreamy over. It's also very high in vitamin C and the antioxidant catechin. From Ito En's press release:
"We are happy to announce that we have received our first lots of Shincha, the prized first flush of Japanese green tea, from Kagoshima Prefecture, one of Japan's main tea growing regions, located on the island of Kyushu. Shincha's fresh character makes it one of the most anticipated teas of the year. Supplies of this tea are limited and frequently sell out. We are currently taking orders for Kagoshima's Premium and Superior Grades.
Kagoshima Premium, 3 oz. in our signature canister, $30
Kagoshima Superior, 3 oz. in our signature canister, $40
Unlike the widely available Sencha style green tea, Shincha is only lightly steamed, which gives the tea its lively taste. This gentle processing also means that Shincha's signature taste remains at its peak for only a few months. Devotees insist that Shincha should not be consumed after the end of the summer."
Mmm... You can get Ito En's Shincha on their tea retail site or, if you're in NYC, at their physical location, 822 Madison Avenue (at 69th Street). I'm hoping to go buy some this week. I'll let you know what I think!
"We are happy to announce that we have received our first lots of Shincha, the prized first flush of Japanese green tea, from Kagoshima Prefecture, one of Japan's main tea growing regions, located on the island of Kyushu. Shincha's fresh character makes it one of the most anticipated teas of the year. Supplies of this tea are limited and frequently sell out. We are currently taking orders for Kagoshima's Premium and Superior Grades.
Kagoshima Premium, 3 oz. in our signature canister, $30
Kagoshima Superior, 3 oz. in our signature canister, $40
Unlike the widely available Sencha style green tea, Shincha is only lightly steamed, which gives the tea its lively taste. This gentle processing also means that Shincha's signature taste remains at its peak for only a few months. Devotees insist that Shincha should not be consumed after the end of the summer."
Mmm... You can get Ito En's Shincha on their tea retail site or, if you're in NYC, at their physical location, 822 Madison Avenue (at 69th Street). I'm hoping to go buy some this week. I'll let you know what I think!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Eat Out Awards: Tafu
As I said in yesterday's post, Time Out's NYC readers nominated four new NYC tearooms for their annual Eat out Awards. I'll be talking a bit about each, starting with TAFU today.
TAFU is a major tea company in Japan. Their NYC tearoom is their first venture into the US market, and a welcome addition to the local tea scene. Their tea selection is exclusively Japanese, which means it's all green tea (maccha, genmaicha, houjichaa, kukicha, sencha, and ryokucha... but, strangely, no gyokuro). They carry hot and iced teas, plus four kinds of maccha (or "matcha") lattes. My personal favorite of their offerings, though, is their sweets menu. They get their sweets (most of which have tea as an ingredient) from Kyotofu, a Hell's Kitchen dessert restaurant known for their tofu-based sweets. (If you are, for even a moment, doubting the deliciousness of such a place, read this NY Times review of Kyotofu.) The houjicha daifuku (mochi-wrapped sweet) and the maccha chocolate both get my seal of approval. Next time I visit, I'm trying the Uji maccha cheesecake. Yum!
TAFU New York
569 Lexington Ave. is the address, but the storefront is on 51st between Lex and 3rd
9AM-8PM Monday-Saturday
212.980.1310
TAFU is a major tea company in Japan. Their NYC tearoom is their first venture into the US market, and a welcome addition to the local tea scene. Their tea selection is exclusively Japanese, which means it's all green tea (maccha, genmaicha, houjichaa, kukicha, sencha, and ryokucha... but, strangely, no gyokuro). They carry hot and iced teas, plus four kinds of maccha (or "matcha") lattes. My personal favorite of their offerings, though, is their sweets menu. They get their sweets (most of which have tea as an ingredient) from Kyotofu, a Hell's Kitchen dessert restaurant known for their tofu-based sweets. (If you are, for even a moment, doubting the deliciousness of such a place, read this NY Times review of Kyotofu.) The houjicha daifuku (mochi-wrapped sweet) and the maccha chocolate both get my seal of approval. Next time I visit, I'm trying the Uji maccha cheesecake. Yum!
TAFU New York
569 Lexington Ave. is the address, but the storefront is on 51st between Lex and 3rd
9AM-8PM Monday-Saturday
212.980.1310
Monday, April 21, 2008
Local Food, Tea Plants
Local food co-ops have issued a challenge to their customers: eat local produce for 80% or more of your diet during the summer months. Excerpt from The Progressive Grocer:
Although "local" is a buzzword used by many retailers, the NCGA maintains that its member natural food co-ops cultivate "truly reciprocal, long-term relationships with local growers and producers."
Participating NCGA member stores will host Eat Local America challenges within their communities, encouraging individuals to visit their store, learn when their local challenge is taking place, commit to participate, and collect information on eating local foods. Because peak harvest time varies throughout the nation, the challenge duration may vary from a one-week to one-month period, according to NCGA.
Read more here.
Personally, I'll be getting most of my grocers from a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). As for my tea, I'll always love teamaster-made green tea from Japan, first flush black from Darjeeling, oolong from Taiwan, and white and green teas from China, but I'll also get to try some VERY local tea soon.
Soil from Darjeeling, kindly sent to me by a tea professional in India
Chinese-variety tea seeds, kindly sent to me my a tea educator in Japan
Planting of the tea seeds, for uber-local, "fresh from my apartment" tea
If anyone in the US would like a tea seed or two, email me with your address and one way you plan to go greener this year. Have a great Earth Day tomorrow!
Although "local" is a buzzword used by many retailers, the NCGA maintains that its member natural food co-ops cultivate "truly reciprocal, long-term relationships with local growers and producers."
Participating NCGA member stores will host Eat Local America challenges within their communities, encouraging individuals to visit their store, learn when their local challenge is taking place, commit to participate, and collect information on eating local foods. Because peak harvest time varies throughout the nation, the challenge duration may vary from a one-week to one-month period, according to NCGA.
Read more here.
Personally, I'll be getting most of my grocers from a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). As for my tea, I'll always love teamaster-made green tea from Japan, first flush black from Darjeeling, oolong from Taiwan, and white and green teas from China, but I'll also get to try some VERY local tea soon.
Soil from Darjeeling, kindly sent to me by a tea professional in India
Chinese-variety tea seeds, kindly sent to me my a tea educator in Japan
Planting of the tea seeds, for uber-local, "fresh from my apartment" tea
If anyone in the US would like a tea seed or two, email me with your address and one way you plan to go greener this year. Have a great Earth Day tomorrow!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Coffee & Tea Festival: More Lectures
Today I'll run through two more lectures of note that I caught at the Coffee and Tea Festival, Green Tea 101 and The Future of Tea.
Green Tea 101--Tafu Tea (NYC staff and visiting Japanese teamaster)
Although this presentation was a bit heavy on the advertising of Tafu, it was interesting to attend. Most of the information was a very basic rundown on Japanese tea. Chinese tea and other green teas were not addressed. However, the teamaster clearly knew his tea extremely well and there were a few gems doled out in the lecture. My favorites:
Notes on brewing sencha included the saying, "If you are sweet to it, then it will be sweet to you."
An emphasis on the aroma of houjicha and genmaicha (Americans are rarely taught to focus on the aromas of their foods and drinks)
Information on cooking with tea and pairing foods (especially desserts) and teas from Kyotofu... yum!
The Future of Tea--Chris Cason (Tavalon)
Somehow, I had never been to an event by NYC's Chris Cason before. I was glad to see he lived up to his reputation of delivering lively and fun lectures. After covering some of the basics of tea, he discussed ways in which tea can be integrated into mainstream American culture. These methods of "making tea accessible" included:
Educating peole about tea (Obviously, I'm a big advocate of that!)
Baking and making candy with tea
Cooking with tea, and doing so in unusual ways, like poaching halibut with brewed chai in lieu of water, or using lapsang souchong leaves with wood chips to smoke foods
Making tea cocktails (which I talked about yesterday)
Incorporating tea into the spa (I used to manage a teabar at a spa, so this is an area of interest for me, too)
Chris is working on a book about his ideas on new approaches to tea and tea trends in the US. Exciting! Maybe you'll get to see an interview or book review on Vee Tea before it comes out.
Tomorrow, I'll be wrapping up a few loose ends with the Festival. Don't forget that it's Earth Day this weekend! Do something to make your life a little greener, and enjoy your tea!
Green Tea 101--Tafu Tea (NYC staff and visiting Japanese teamaster)
Although this presentation was a bit heavy on the advertising of Tafu, it was interesting to attend. Most of the information was a very basic rundown on Japanese tea. Chinese tea and other green teas were not addressed. However, the teamaster clearly knew his tea extremely well and there were a few gems doled out in the lecture. My favorites:
Notes on brewing sencha included the saying, "If you are sweet to it, then it will be sweet to you."
An emphasis on the aroma of houjicha and genmaicha (Americans are rarely taught to focus on the aromas of their foods and drinks)
Information on cooking with tea and pairing foods (especially desserts) and teas from Kyotofu... yum!
The Future of Tea--Chris Cason (Tavalon)
Somehow, I had never been to an event by NYC's Chris Cason before. I was glad to see he lived up to his reputation of delivering lively and fun lectures. After covering some of the basics of tea, he discussed ways in which tea can be integrated into mainstream American culture. These methods of "making tea accessible" included:
Educating peole about tea (Obviously, I'm a big advocate of that!)
Baking and making candy with tea
Cooking with tea, and doing so in unusual ways, like poaching halibut with brewed chai in lieu of water, or using lapsang souchong leaves with wood chips to smoke foods
Making tea cocktails (which I talked about yesterday)
Incorporating tea into the spa (I used to manage a teabar at a spa, so this is an area of interest for me, too)
Chris is working on a book about his ideas on new approaches to tea and tea trends in the US. Exciting! Maybe you'll get to see an interview or book review on Vee Tea before it comes out.
Tomorrow, I'll be wrapping up a few loose ends with the Festival. Don't forget that it's Earth Day this weekend! Do something to make your life a little greener, and enjoy your tea!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Coffee & Tea Festival: Ito En & Tafu
Two major Japanese tea companies were represented at the 2008 NYC Coffee and Tea Festival: Ito En and Tafu.
Ito En was unveiling two new products, Mint Green in their Teas Tea line and Oi Ocha, which is the #1 selling RTD (Ready-to-Drink, a.k.a. "bottled" or "canned," depending on the packaging method) tea in Japan and was only available in specialty stores in the US until now. The Mint Green seems like a good tea for soothing the stomach or for a new tea drinker. The Oi Ocha is a robust tea, best-suited for more serious tea drinkers. It is double brewed for maximum catechins and a strong umami (astringent) taste.
Oishi! <--Japanese for "delicious."
Tafu was promoting their NYC tearoom, which serves a variety of teas and tea sweets. Their tea sweets are made by Kyotofu, which (of course) serves their tea and uses their tea to make delicious tea sweets (think white chocolate matcha cupcakes, black sesame sweet tofu with houjicha green tea sauce). They also flew in their 7th generation tea master, who spoke at several events and freshly roasted houjicha especially for the event. (I bought some. It's fantastic.)
Matcha cupcake with lecture notes and some sequins on one of my salwar kameez (tunic, pants, and scarf outfits) from India
Tafu's 7th generation tea master roasting houjicha
Tomorrow, I'll talk about some of the lectures at the Coffee and Tea Festival. Until then, drink up!
Ito En was unveiling two new products, Mint Green in their Teas Tea line and Oi Ocha, which is the #1 selling RTD (Ready-to-Drink, a.k.a. "bottled" or "canned," depending on the packaging method) tea in Japan and was only available in specialty stores in the US until now. The Mint Green seems like a good tea for soothing the stomach or for a new tea drinker. The Oi Ocha is a robust tea, best-suited for more serious tea drinkers. It is double brewed for maximum catechins and a strong umami (astringent) taste.
Oishi! <--Japanese for "delicious."
Tafu was promoting their NYC tearoom, which serves a variety of teas and tea sweets. Their tea sweets are made by Kyotofu, which (of course) serves their tea and uses their tea to make delicious tea sweets (think white chocolate matcha cupcakes, black sesame sweet tofu with houjicha green tea sauce). They also flew in their 7th generation tea master, who spoke at several events and freshly roasted houjicha especially for the event. (I bought some. It's fantastic.)
Matcha cupcake with lecture notes and some sequins on one of my salwar kameez (tunic, pants, and scarf outfits) from India
Tafu's 7th generation tea master roasting houjicha
Tomorrow, I'll talk about some of the lectures at the Coffee and Tea Festival. Until then, drink up!
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