Tea
Tea Field near Mt. Fuji
Picture (Tea Plants near Mt. Fuji)
Japanese teas are steamed which distinguishes them from most other teas. Japanese teas are also generally delicate, have a strong , some would say "true" tea taste and very green in color.
The vast majority of Japan's tea production is green tea which is mostly harvested by machine. One notable aspect of Japanese teas is that the grade or quality of the tea, is often determined by the time of the year that the tea leaves are picked.
Japanese teas are steamed which distinguishes them from most other teas. Japanese teas are also generally delicate, have a strong , some would say "true" tea taste and very green in color.
The vast majority of Japan's tea production is green tea which is mostly harvested by machine. One notable aspect of Japanese teas is that the grade or quality of the tea, is often determined by the time of the year that the tea leaves are picked.
Tea Ceremony
Tea Ceremony
In japanese the tea ceremony is called Sadou.
The first reference to a formal tea ceremonies involving the drinking of tea was on the eighth century. That eighth century tea ceremony was recorded in a book called “Cha Ching” which provided instructions on using the correct temperature of hot water and various cups and pots to prepare the tea. Today's tea ceremonies are still based on the instructions from Cha Ching.
In 710-794, known as the Nara period, tea plants were grown in Japan and mainly used for medicine. In China around the end of the Tang dynasty, tea went from being regarded as a medicine to a beverage. The use of tea as a beverage did not reach Japan until much later however as the two countries were not on good terms.