Nowhere has the ceremony of tea drinking been taken to such heights as in Japan. Yes, the Brits enjoy their afternoon cuppa. The Chinese use tea as part of a traditional marriage ceremony. It is served by the bride and groom to their parents, other 'elders' and anybody else they want to pay their respects to; at yum cha, the younger diners are supposed to pour for the others.
The Japanese ceremony, however, is something else. There are two broad categories, each with different 'schools': sencha-do using sencha (whole green tea leaves), and chado (also called sado and chanoyu), using matcha, or powdered tea. It's a long performance, where every movement of the host is governed, from the way he or she dresses (it should reflect the season), enters the room and closes the door, cleans the utensils before use, whisks the powdered tea with water to make a thick, bitter liquid, serves the guests, cleans the utensils again and then bows as the guests leave. The guests, too, behave formally - accepting the deep tea bowl in a certain way, turning it so the clean side faces front before sipping, then wiping the rim clean so the same bowl can be drunk from by the next guest.
Perfection in the art of the tea ceremony, say its practitioners, is unattainable.
Tea master Shogen Shirakawa, whose grandfather was also a tea master, has been practising one of the many schools of chado for about 30 years, after taking a class at university. He practised almost daily at the beginning, and now does it mostly at the weekend. He says, 'I would rather not say I am good at it; I believe we find something new to learn. Learning how to make it and how to present the tea is not so difficult; but to learn it in depth, one has to study the history of tea and learn the qualities of different teas. There are a lot of things to learn.'
The tea used in chado - matcha - was introduced to Japan from China by Buddhist monks more than 1,000 years ago, says Shirakawa. 'Chado used to play a role suited to the times. It was useful for monks at the beginning, to wake them up during meditation, and also to keep them in good health as a kind of medicine. It gradually became popular and important with feudal lords. Chado next became popular with rich merchants and then ordinary folk picked it up.'
Although the world is getting busier, Shirakawa says the tea ceremony remains popular. 'It's still a precious culture and art.'
During the ceremony, Shirakawa says, he's not focused on trying to do everything correctly and creating something beautiful. 'Grand tea master Sen no Rikyu [who lived in the 16th century] said the [purpose of the] tea ceremony is just to serve tea. If we make it more beautiful, it doesn't matter - that's not the purpose. It's just to serve tea. The most important thing is to prepare the cup of tea for the guest with all your heart. Treasure every encounter, for it will never recur.'
Japanese green tea glossary
Matcha
Made from leaves that are steamed and dried before being ground into a fine powder. Koicha (thick tea) is milder and less bitter, and is used for the chado tea ceremony; usucha (thin tea) is better for everyday drinking. Matcha varies greatly in price according to quality; in general, the darker green, the better (and more expensive). When buying it, look at the colour then smell it - it should have a fresh, 'green' scent. Matcha oxidises quickly, and should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Water heated to 80 degrees Celsius is used, and a bamboo whisk is needed to whip the tea into the water to create a froth on the surface.
Sencha
Green tea leaves that are steamed, twisted and dried, but left whole, rather than being ground. It's brewed with boiled water cooled to between 70 degrees and 80 degrees, the leaves are left to steep briefly before being drunk quickly. Sencha leaves can be steeped in hot water several times.
Hojicha
Tea leaves that are roasted, rather than steamed, giving them a brown colour rather than the distinctive green of matcha and sencha. Roasting the leaves lowers the amount of caffeine. Hojicha is steeped in water that's slightly hotter than that for matcha and sencha, but still below the boiling point.
Gyokuro
Refined green tea leaves grown under the shade, giving the tea a very mild, sweet flavour. Brewed in water between 50 degrees and 60 degrees.
Bancha
Green tea made in a similar method to sencha, but of larger leaves harvested later in the season. The flavour is stronger and the price is lower than sencha.
Genmaicha
Made by blending bancha tea leaves with roasted brown rice, adding a toasted flavour to the drink.
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