CONTACT US
Search for:

ZEN In A Cup

pioadminu

26 March 2020

No Comments

ZEN In A Cup

zen

Zen is defined as a way of being and a state of mind.  It is a discipline that makes a person feel whole.  It is a way of life that celebrates good health and harmony.  Japanese green tea is honoured in Japan as “Way of Tea,” which was actually influenced by Zen Buddhism.  Japanese green tea can be your zen, too!  Take pleasure in Japanese green tea and experience serenity and completeness in a cup.

Japanese green tea is commonly referred to as ocha (“tea”) or nihoncha (“Japanese tea”).  It comes in various grades, depending on the part of the plant being used and how it was processed.  For example, gyokuro (“jewel dew”) is a high-grade green tea.  Its process involves placing the plant in the shade for about 2 weeks before harvesting its leaves.  This is done so that the tea has a distinct sweet flavour and jade-like color.

The leaves of the shrub Camellia sinensis are mainly used to make green tea.  In fact, other types of tea such as black and oolong teas come from the very same plant.  However, what makes tea green is its lack of oxidation or fermentation.  After the leaves are harvested, they undergo minimal oxidation wherein they are briefly allowed to turn a shade darker in a temperature-controlled room.  This vital step retains the chemical composition of the leaves, giving green tea its fresh flavour and colour.

As mentioned earlier, Japanese green tea comes in various grades.  While most of these varieties are made with leaves, others, like the Kuchika (stalk tea) and Bancha (coarse tea) are made from stalks and twigs of the C. sinensis.  Their flavour is somewhat nutty and creamy, yet equally delightful.

Green tea

Unbelievably,  Japanese green tea has the best component you have yet to learn.   Because green tea undergoes the least amount of oxidation,  the antioxidant epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG) is preserved.  What’s important about EGCG is that it is found to be several times more powerful than vitamins C and E at neutralizing free radicals (free radicals are responsible for aging, cancer, and heart disease among many other illnesses).   Green tea also contains vitamins A, C, and E and minerals manganese, zinc, and chromium.

History of the japanese green tea

The earliest mention of tea was during the Nara period (710-794).  Tea was then referred as “Gyocha no Gi.”  However, it was during the Heian period (794-1185) that green tea was actually cultivated in Japan.  Japanese monks, who studied in China , brought into Japan tea seeds which were initially planted in temple gardens.  At first, the Chinese way of growing and preparing tea was followed.

Tea drinking soon became popular in Japan that sometime during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603), a tea ceremony, Chado or Chanoyu, saw its formal beginning.

Then during  the Edo period (1603-1868) Japanese tea makers in Uji developed  their own method in order to achieve the optimal infusion of tea essence.  This method entailed rolling the pressed leaves together which was actually faster, hence more efficient.  Other methods were also employed to create different varieties of Japanese green tea.

Today, there is a variety of green tea to choose from to suite your fine taste.  So we invite you to treat yourself  to good health and peace of mind that can only come from Japan’s array of famous green tea.  Delight in Japanese green tea and treasure each moment cup by cup!

Way of Tea

The Way of Tea is a vital ritual in Japanese culture that involves  the ceremonial preparation of a powdered green tea called Matcha.   Each step and movement are prescribed and must be performed in a precise manner by all participants.

A practice that began centuries ago, it actually underwent  several refinements  before it developed into the ritual as it is observed today.  But the sole influence was always Zen Buddhism.

Originally, Matcha was used only in rituals by Buddhist monks during the 12th century.  Then it became a status symbol among the shoguns during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).  Parties were even held to celebrate green tea.  Came the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the Japanese became more appreciative of the arts, which paved the way for how tea ceremony was to be precisely observed.

Still, Zen Buddhism played a large influence on the observance of tea ceremony – the ichi-go ichi-e philosophy, which translates “one chance in a lifetime.”  This meant that each tea ceremony is to be treasured because it is unique and can never be replicated.