Ochazuke is a very simple Japanese dish, prepared by pouring tea over rice. Traditionally, a Sencha with Karigane or Genmaicha is often used, accompanied with pressed seaweed flakes known as Nori, filet of salmon, or preserved apricot-like fruit called Umeboshi.

Matcha tea is distinct from other teas, because in enjoying Matcha, the whole tea leaf is consumed in a powdered form. Matcha is one of the most concentrated sources of antioxidants on the planet, and it has become popular to use Matcha in health food in the West. It may be that the health benefits of Matcha were recognized and used as an instant food of sorts by people in Japan as early as the Muromachi period, some 650 years ago, and in China before that! Though unlike a frozen dinner, the preparation of Matcha itself can bring about a state of tranquility. It could be said that the process acts as a barometer for the body and the spirit, allowing a state of introspection to develop, from the simple and gentle repetitive whisking motions required for preparation. It is for this reason that Matcha preparation and enjoyment is the pinnacle of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. (For more specific information on the preparation of Matcha, please click here. For more information about the psychological benefits of tea, please see our Philosophy of Japanese Tea  page.)

Tea originating from a single field is known as non-blended. Such a tea is crafted directly as a result of the conditions of the land of that particular field, the Terroir. Thus, the taste of a non-blended tea describes the scents and flavors of that very specific region, as crafted solely by Nature. In contrast, teas are often blended by the tea master to ensure a balance of taste, or in accordance with the taste requested by a customer. However non-blends allow the tea-drinker to experience a tea of uniform taste and singularity that cannot be replicated by any other field. An well balanced non-blended tea can be hard to come by. However, at Rishouen Tea, we offer non-blended teas of only the highest quality, housing a perfection that only Nature can create. (For more information regarding the important role the concept of Nature plays in Japanese tea, please see our Philosophy of Japanese Tea page.)

A small spatula-like spoon used for measuring out Matcha powder. In the days when Matcha was only able to be enjoyed by the elite, Chashaku were used as poison detectors. Being made of silver or ivory, they would react to arsenic by changing color. Nowadays, Chashaku are usually made from bamboo or other wood native to Japan.

Tea picked in the later harvests of the year is known as Bancha. As it is harvested later, the leaves are more mature. It is also harvested from the lower leaves of the tea tree as well, having been less exposed to direct sunlight. Thus, from a purely scientific perspective, we consider Bancha to be a lower quality tea than its relative, Sencha. But Bancha is produced in many different ways, some quite unique and exciting. A prime example of such a Bancha is the specialty of Kyoto, Iribancha.

In a matter of speaking, all tea starts as Aracha before it is sorted. After the cleansing process, this unrefined tea matter is separated according to the shape of the tea leaf, and the desired kind of tea it is to become.