The Japanese Way of Tea

And this series of tea customs simply would not be complete without a piece on Japanese tea customs. It may have taken awhile for tea to make it from China to Japan, but many believe it was the Japanese that took the art of tea to a new level of perfection.

In the Japanese tea ceremony, Cha-no-yu, humility is key. The door to the sukiya, or tea house, is low. It forces those entering to bow low, humbling themselves, as they enter. Every ceremony is unique, and meant to be savored. The ceremony can take hours to complete.

An important part of the ceremony is the tea bowl, or chawan.

I don't have any matcha, which is what is traditionally used in Japan. So today I am drinking a green tea with strawberry and orange. In a very special mug:

This mug was a gift from a dear friend of mine. Because we both love tea so much, she bought us matching mugs. Sharing this mug today is especially appropriate, because she lived for awhile in Japan, and has very fond memories.

And just for her, I'm going to plug a tea she created. It is Myst Berry, and you can find it here. It's delicious, and I highly recommend you buy some!