Japanese Green tea - Kagoshima, 88th Night

Camellia sinensis:  Green Tea

Green tea is made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, using different “recipes” from the other major tea types. After the tea leaves are plucked, there are steps taken to soften them and quickly apply heat to preserve the green color and flavor.  Here are hundreds of articles written by dozens of tea specialists. 

Sencha; Frequently Asked Questions

Sencha; Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sencha? Sencha is a popular kind of Japanese green tea, grown in full sunlight and brewed by infusing whole loose leaves in 80°C warm water. It is dark green in color with an astringent taste and bitter afternotes, and fresh grassy aroma. It is also referred...

The Legend of Dragon Well Tea

The Legend of Dragon Well Tea

Dragon Well is a Chinese tea is also known as Longjing. Pouring hot water into my cup, I watch the long, sword-shaped leaves open. As the leaves unfurl, they look like a sparrow opening its beak to sing. The distinct, flat Dragon Well has inspired legends and...

Tips for a Frothier Matcha Top!

Tips for a Frothier Matcha Top!

In this post for TChing, (First Experiences with Matcha) , Michael Haavaldsrud touches on a few of the difficulties we all face when dealing with Matcha for the first (or second! Or even third!) time.Truth be told, it’s not the easiest, most intuitive tea to prepare...

Green Tea: A Short Story

Green Tea: A Short Story

“Green Tea” is a short story written by Irish writer J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1814 – 1873) who specialized in horror fiction, including the familiar Gothic tales. Could a story titled “Green Tea” possibly belong to the terror and fantasy genre? “Green Tea” first appeared...

How To Brew Green Tea With No Bitterness

How To Brew Green Tea With No Bitterness

Here at T Ching, we are proud to begin featuring these delightful and informative videos by Diane Walden of Cal Teas. We decided to start from the beginning, so up next is this how-to on brewing green tea. Research has shown the potential of green tea extracts/weight...

A beautiful moment with Japanese green tea

A beautiful moment with Japanese green tea

Holly introduced me to Japanese green tea ten years ago, almost to this day. It was a sencha, and such was the uniqueness of the mouthfeel and sequence of flavours that I have been intrigued by it ever since. Being a graphic designer by trade, I was just as struck by...

Houjicha: roasted Japanese green tea

Houjicha: roasted Japanese green tea

I live in a 60-year old Japanese house. Beautifully positioned between two mountains surrounded by rice fields and a flowing stream. Sliding doors. Tatami floors. Single glazing. Zero insulation. No central heating. Get the picture? It’s so cold inside the house that...

Crunch time for loose leaf Japanese green tea

Crunch time for loose leaf Japanese green tea

Noriyuki Teshima, 33 years old, is a rarity in the world of Japanese green tea. Rather than head to the city for a more cosmopolitan job and way of life, he has stayed true to his roots: tea. The tea farm Noriyuki inherited from his father, while still in his 20's,...

Canned Green Tea

Canned Green Tea

The expressions displayed on my Indonesian friend's and Vietnamese friend's faces when I handed them a canned coffee years ago were priceless; they glimpsed at each another and smirked.  Since then I have encouraged both of them to visit Japan -- canned coffee...

Japanese Green Tea: The Inside Story

Japanese Green Tea: The Inside Story

Over the last year and a half, Chiki Tea has become increasingly well-known in local tea-producing circles around Kyushu island--Oita prefecture in particular. Some farmers are keen to get to know us because of our connection to the West. With a dwindling and aging...

5 Ways to Use Green Tea in Your Skincare Routine

Why is the Matcha in London so… Bad?!

This month one of my co-founders, Alex, is in London, scoping out the Japanese green tea scene. We’re exploring the idea of opening a Chiki Tea café over there. Over the last few weeks, Alex has had the arduous task of sampling various Matcha drinks around the centre...

Green Tea Extract: What is it?

Green Tea Extract: What is it?

And furthermore… is it a safe option? The questions stem from mounting research that many food extracts used for medicinal purposes contain too much of a good thing.  In most cases, many foods and herbs have specific health benefits, and many companies are trying to...

The Japanese Green Tea Cafe Project

The Japanese Green Tea Cafe Project

At a press conference held in Nagasaki Prefecture this past April, Japanese Green Tea Café Project's stakeholders announced their plan of opening 50 tea cafés in the States. When you visit one of these cafés, scheduled to open within the next 10 years, you will be...

January is green tea month

January is green tea month

Every year, as the calendar page turns, a bright, shiny New Year arrives and along with it comes a plethora of online, magazine, and newspaper articles on how to improve your health and lose weight in the coming year. Culturally, we go…

Spring Iced Green Teas

Spring Iced Green Teas

Return to T Ching Classics: Springtime for Tea LoversSpring is in the air! That means it’s time to break out the green teas. I’ve always thought of green tea as my thinking tea. Brewed at a lower temperature, it is very soothing and relaxes the body and mind. I love...