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.

When many people think of Mochi, they think of sweets like Mochi wrapped ice-cream. In Japan too, use of Mochi, or glutinous rice, is most frequently used in Japanese pastries known as Wagashi. But Mochi has several other applications too. The origin of the Mochi rice paste is of course rice, but not just any rice, Mochi rice! We include this high quality kind of rice, slightly toasted, in our Genmaicha tea, providing it with a delicious and recognizable flavor.

Karigane is a term specific to tea, to describe the inclusion of tea tree stems in with the tea leaves. One may think that this lessens the strength or quality of the tea, but it actually refines the flavor and changes it slightly. The inclusion of Karigane in a tea can also add efficiency to brewing, as the stems insure an even separation of the leaves. Inclusion of Karigane marks a more mature tea as well. (The method of infusion used for Karigane varies depending on the type of tea with which it is blended. Please see Gyokuro Karigane, Houjicha Karigane, or Sencha Karigane for more information.)

Iribancha is a tea with quite a particular method of manufacturing that yields a unique, primordial taste close to the first teas ever brewed. Tea is roasted in a gigantic 5 foot wide (1.5 meter) iron pan, so that the tea leaves are slightly seared in places. Iribancha has been a traditional tea particular to the Kyoto area for hundreds of years. Please note that Iribancha differs from Houjicha in that with Houjicha preparation, tea leaves are rolled and evenly roasted. The flavors are very different, we assure you! (For specific instructions on how best to infuse Iribancha, click here.)

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.