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CHANOYU
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Phone
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773.794.0504 |
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Questions & Answers
Curious about why some people devote their whole lives to serving a bowl of tea? Want to share ideas and themes for tea gatherings? Here's your chance to talk with chanoyu people around the world. Please submit questions or comments to...
| >WHY IS TEA GREEN? |
| The tea used for chanoyu is called "matcha" which means powdered tea. After the raw leaves are picked they are steamed to stop fermentation. This is what keeps the tea green. In fact, all green teas are steamed. If the tea was allowed to ferment, it would become one of the many black teas. Remember, matcha is a powdered tea not a steeped tea. To make a powder, only the “meat” of the leaf is used. No stems or veins. After several months of aging, the tea is stone ground into a powder. The matcha is placed in a bowl, hot water is added, and the tea is whisked. To my knowledge, Japanese matcha is the only powdered tea consumed in the modern world. |
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| While it is true that tea was originally introduced to Japan from China, now all matcha is produced in Japan. Finding matcha outside of Japan can be difficult. If you do find some in a store or tea shop it may not have been stored properly. Matcha usually comes in airtight foil bag sealed in small metal cans. Even when unopened, the matcha should be kept in the freezer. If not the tea will turn bitter and lose much of its color. Try not to buy tea over a year old. The easiest way to get your tea is to order it online. We recommend Matcha and More, Inc. (www.MATCHAandMORE.com). They order directly from the tea plantations and send it on to you. If you have other sources let us know. |
>WHEN PERFORMING CHASEN TOSHI, DO YOU ALWAYS LIFT THE CHASEN TWO TIMES AND WHY? |
| Any questions about temae are best answered by your teacher. If you do not have one, we can try to find one in your area. Chanoyu is learned directly from one heart to the next. A book or a website is no substitute for in-class study. Watch, listen, and take many notes. But I can say that chasen toshi is done to prepare the chasen for making tea or to clean the chasen afterwards. |