Journal

Whether you’ve had matcha before or not, we suggest you first taste Matcha Kari by preparing it as traditional thin tea. Heat water in a kettle until steam first appears; this will be well below boiling, about 180°F. Turn off heat. Pour about a half cup of the hot water...

Organic tea production is done on a limited scale in Japan, and, sadly, the quality of organic Japanese green tea, including matcha, is inferior to that of conventionally grown tea. The good news is that Japanese consumer demand for organic foods is increasing and that tea producers are devoting more...

Many plants produce caffeine and chemically related stimulants, collectively called xanthines. Examples are coffee, tea, cacao, yerba maté, cola, guaraná, and guayusa. The major xanthine in coffee is caffeine, in tea theophylline, and in cacao theobromine, but the physiological effects of these are more similar than different. Yet the stimulation...

Drinking tea is good for health. All tea contains protective phytonutrients, plant compounds that help us. The most important are catechins, types of a larger category of beneficial plant-based compounds called flavonoids. These are present in many foods, including cocoa, red wine, apples, some berries and a few other fruits,...

We like many kinds of tea: delicate white tea from China, complex oolong from Taiwan, black Darjeeling, and robust, earthy Pu-erh. But our beverage of choice remains quality Japanese green tea. Not only are we drawn to its appealing color and flavor, drinking it brings to mind people and places...