Ice steeping, the secret to making your Japanese tea more umami-full
We’re in the midst of the monsoon season in Japan, the rainy and muggy days continue... After the rains, come the hot humid summer days. And if you are familiar...
Professional's Guide to Japanese Tea
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Japanese Tea Harvesting Methods
The 2023 Shincha season is here! Many tea farms will be starting, or have already started their very first tea harvest for the new season. We say very first because...
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The Art of Hand Rolling Tea
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Koukien Tea Garden, a tea farm based near Makizono-cho, Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture. They are a family doing agriculture all year round including rice...
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Meet the Tea Farmer: Mataki Tatefumi
For today’s tea farmer interview at Yunomi, we are with 3rd generation tea farmer and CEO of Sueyoshi Tea Atelier in Soo City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Mataki Tatefumi. Mataki-san strongly believes...
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Why Hojicha is Low in Caffeine
One all-time favorite tea and one which ceases to lose popularity among the Japanese is hojicha, a roasted green tea with origins in Kyoto (I will touch on its history...
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Okayama Prefecture's Treasured Bancha - Mimasaka Bancha Crafting
When you think of Okayama Prefecture, what tea comes to mind? For those of you who answered mimasaka bancha, you are right on point! While Okayama Prefecture, located West of...
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Bamboo and the Art of Chasen Making
Today, I would like to talk about chasen (茶筅), the indispensable and quintessential tea whisk that is used to make matcha, particularly focusing on the bamboo that is used in...
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All About Shading in Japanese Tea Cultivation
Hello! Genki desuka (How are you doing)? Today, I would like to delve into the topic of shading and shaded teas. If you enjoy drinking gyokuro, kabusecha, or matcha, you...
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Yancha: Interview with Yancy Lever an American Tea Farmer
Today, we share with you our interview with Yancy Lever, an American tea farmer who is residing in Otoyo Village, Kochi Prefecture. Yancy is relatively new to the world of Japanese tea with...
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Regional Japanese Onomatopeia Teas
The clouds are white and fluffy (Japanese: fuwafuwa) today. The sand at the beach was so smooth (Japanese: sarasara) that the wind and our footprints made beautiful imprints. ...
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Befriending Japanese Tea Cultivars
When you go to drink your Japanese tea, have you thought about the type of tea cultivar(s) that your tea is coming from? Perhaps, one may associate “cultivars” with the...
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Tea Farm Mitocha: Preserving A Historical Folk Tea
Today, we share with you our interview with Yuki Kayashita, a young and creative tea farmer based in a village in Yamazoe, Nara prefecture. Over the span of 10 years...
