Japanese Tea Ceremony

Photo:http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3299/3481120565_6f4045d6b1_d.jpg

I recently had the honour of attending a Japanese tea ceremony here in Ottawa at Camellia Teas. It was a delightfully restful experience. From the moment we stepped inside on a very icy day we were treated to an elegant respect as guests. A cup of hot speciality tea was served to us in a waiting area and, as we awaited the other guests arrival, a congenial conversation put you at ease.

6 guests in all arrived and were treated to the same hospitality, after which we received a lesson in very basic tea ceremony etiquette. It was apparent early on that we merely scratched the surface of this age old tradition.  We learned three bow positions for accepting tea and how to stand and sit in one graceful move. Next we moved to other tea room set-ups, that gave us a feel for how the tearoom changes from one season to another and how the very simplicity that you see is in fact an illusion, as every detail in the room from calligraphic painting to floral arrangement, from the tatami mat layout on the floor to the location of the coals for heating the water are carefully arranged for a purpose. As part of the ceremony we were served Japanese sweets prepared by our host and shown the ritual involved in receiving the sweets.

The ceremony was more for our education than for the ritual and opened up a whole new appreciation for the artful, ritualistic presentation of tea. I wonder how many of us know how painful it can be for the server to be on her knees for so long, apparently a pain that for the sake of  respect for the ceremony you learn to work through without showing the discomfort.

It was a pleasure to be in the presence of someone that has such a passion for what they do, particularly since our world moves so fast. The Japanese Tea Ceremony reminds us of  what it's like to slow down and just appreciate the moment, good company and good tea.

Tea and Art and Amino-Acids

Photo:Briskiii

Ever wondered what is it about tea that makes you so relaxed and refreshed when you need it most? Tea contains theanine "an amino-acid that is thought to reduce physical and mental stress and promote a sense of well-being and relaxation." according to Jane Pettigrew and Bruce Richardson in their book "The New Tea Companion". Apparently, this amino-acid does not appear often in nature and when combined with the caffeine in tea helps you feel relaxed, but energized improving performance.

Maybe that's why when we settle down to write, draw, paint or read we do so with a decent cuppa.  I love to paint and draw, but sometimes I just get a mental block or get irritable and fidgety, a cup of my favourite brew sorts it all out.  Is it  the chemical makeup of tea, or is it just that you focus on something different which gives your brain a chance to relax while you go through the ritual of putting on the kettle, choosing the tea, warming the pot and waiting patiently for the tea to brew to your desired taste? All I know is that when I take that warm cup and take that first sip I feel a whole lot more warm, cozy and relaxed. I can't think of anything more refreshing even on a hot day.  My mother used to always say a hot cup of tea on a hot day cooled her down, a learned behaviour she got from her mother, who got it from her mother and so on. I have to agree with her (she'd love to hear that one, how many mothers can say they kids agree with them)! Try it next time the temperature gets unbearable.

Teas for Mid-Winter

Tea is such a versatile drink. Have you ever noticed how the type of tea your drinking evokes different memories and feelings according to the season? For instance, if I have Wuyi Rock oolong in the summer, it tastes good, but if I drink it beside a wood fire in the fall or winter the smokiness in taste engulfs my senses and produces an all around warmth that even hot chocolate (and I love chocolate) can bring to my soul.

photo by David Leggett

Here's something I dare you to try next time you have a wonderful cup of any type of tea. Close your eyes and take a sip of tea, then a bite of chocolate (milk or dark) and pay close attention to what your tastebuds tell you.

Just like tasting tea, it's important to experiment with different chocolate/ tea combinations.  Chocolate like tea, like wine, has a different flavour depending on where, when and who created it. Some chocolatiers infuse their chocolate with tea or add the whole leaf (for instance when creating with matcha green tea). Truffles are my all time favourite chocolates to savour with a good tea, because like tea they have layers of flavour and yes, they are expensive, but the work that goes into those tiny balls, or squares, of art needs to be slowly contemplated thus making them the perfect compliment to a relaxing cup of tea.

Japanese Green Tea

Japanese Green Tea

Back to school with round 2 of the Canadian Tea Council's tea sommelier programme.  This time we're studying some of the world's largest and most prominent tea producing regions.

Let's begin with Japan a nation of green tea drinkers and in a lot of people's opinions the world's best green tea producer.  Tea was introduced to Japan through Buddhist monks and was initially used as an aid to stop monks falling asleep during meditation. This spiritual background gave tea in Japan a more formal and ritualized treatment and produced the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Japan is not the easiest of places to grow tea, the majority of the country is either too steep to cultivate or too soggy from rain. Because there is so little area for agriculture the Japanese have to be very efficient planters and harvesters.  Their answer has been to mechanize most of its production, from picking to processing.

They also have a number of small farms (tea gardens) around and in cities producing tea and although renowned for its green tea, there are a few of these tea gardens now producing black tea, but this is considered rare. In fact, it's becoming trendy in Japan to drink black tea the way the British do, with milk and sugar and a number of tea rooms have sprung up in recent years serving traditional British afternoon tea.

Japanese green tea is one of our favourites with little or no smokiness of the Chinese varieties, but a more vegetal, lively, fresh taste.

It's always important to try a variety of teas because just like fine wines each has its own distinct flavour and aroma evoking memories you'd thought you'd forgotten.

Chilli and Tea

Photo by:shanidov

It never crossed my mind when I had chilli for tea just an hour and a half before taking the tea tasting exam, that I wouldn't be able to pick up different flavours on my tastebuds.  At the time, I just thought I was feeding my kids a nutritious and tasty meal before I left (they tried to tell me it would be better to just have chocolate and chips).  Oh the pressures of being a mother!

Well you live and learn, so my lesson for you for today is pair your foods carefully with your choice of tea and be aware that your guests may not be tasting what you're tasting.

Back to the exam: it was in three parts, blind tea tasting of 6 teas (blindfold provided, a sales/recommendation assignment, and a 50 question multiple choice paper.

The assignment was fun as we worked in pairs with the goal of recommending which tea to serve to a potential customer with very specific needs.  For example, our team had to recommend tea for a fund-raising event in a community to build a park and play area. The event was taking place in a community centre and they expected 500 people of all ages and wanted to serve tea and snacks. What did we recommend? A black tea that was easy to prepare and would appeal to just about everyone on that list, served at the table to add a touch of warmth, appreciation and respect.  One of our main concerns was that the urns being used for the main brew were not previously used for coffee - there's nothing worse than coffee flavoured tea.

The multiple choice was as predicted tough in places, particularly the places where the cramming failed, and the brain said "you should be in bed right now, asleep".

No matter how well I did, it was an interesting experience and all to be repeated in the second course of the series on tea regions in just 2 weeks time. And yes, I will be practising my tea tasting abilities a little more - with a blindfold - and I promise no chilli to wreck the tastbuds, well not within an hour of tasting.

First tea exam approaches

I've spent this week reviewing notes and tasting different teas in the hope that my aging brain will retain some of the information that I've learned over the last few weeks.  This week sees my first tea exam.  Just the mention of the word "exam" gives me the jitters.

My daughter who's used to exams and studying like a maniac at University, asked a simple question "so I guess you'll be studying all day Tuesday (the day before the "EXAM"). Nonchalantly I replied that I couldn't do that as I had other things to fill my day, a son to help with school, a website to maintain, a blog to write, a house to clean and dogs to feed and exercise.  That's when the panic started to set in.  The realisation that I hadn't finished all I had hoped to read on the subject and how, at the last class I hadn't been able to remember the answers to questions during the review and the biggest doubt - would I be able to tell which tea is which.  Stay tuned for my next post.

That’s a nice cuppa! I think

Tea Tasting (Photo: jacobms)

Have you ever wondered how and who decides the tea you drink should be the tea you drink? Or where the tea you drink came from and how it got to you?

These are questions I’ve asked a number of times, among others like what makes organic tea organic when it all comes from a plant and needs the usual soil, sun, water to grow? Isn’t that basic science and isn’t all plant life organic?

So, when the opportunity to find out more about my favourite beverage came along I decided it was time to find out more about the industry behind it.  To do so I enrolled in a series of courses run by the Canadian Tea Council at my local college.

The courses are crash courses that last 4 weeks culminating in a final exam at the end of each course.  So far I’ve completed 2 weeks and learnt a “plantation” of info. The first course, an “Introduction to Tea” is aimed at either those interested in a career in the tea industry or related fields, or those that just simply want to find out more about the best drink in the world.

We started off with some basic historical information about how tea was discovered and how it travelled around the world and shaped history.  For instance, did you know that it’s pretty well agreed upon that the consumption of tea dates back to 2732 BCE, and that it has long been used in China (the country of origin) as a restorative and to combat depression? Not to mention a digestive aid and used in ointments to relieve the pain of rheumatism.

 A major part of the course is to be able to describe different teas and distinguish tea types through taste smell and appearance of  both leaf and liquor (not the alcoholic variety!), a lot to swallow in 4 weeks. Is it fun? Yes. Is there a lot to learn in a short time? Yes. Will I be taking the second course? You bet. Would I recommend it to others? Yes, who wouldn’t want to know more about where their food and drink comes from?

With so much myth and legend surrounding one of our most popular beverages who can resist learning more?

Stay tuned for more informative and educational insights.

Amanda (A Desperate (but informed)Tea Drinker)