A sake set ( 酒器 , shuki ) consists of the flask and cups used to serve sake . Sake sets are most often in Japanese pottery , but may be wood, lacquered wood, glass or plastic . The flask and cups may be sold individually or as a set.
79-482: Sake cups are normally small, with variable shapes but based on traditional bowls used for tea. They are normally without handles, and most often without stems. The server of a sake set is a flask called a tokkuri ( 徳利 ). A tokkuri is generally bulbous with a narrow neck, which tends to be called a "flask" in English, but may have a variety of other shapes, including that of a spouted vessel ( katakuchi ), similar to
158-427: A herbal mix in boiling or near-boiling water , and for serving the resulting infusion which is called tea . It is one of the core components of teaware . Teapots usually have an opening with a lid at their top, where the dry tea and hot water are added, a handle for holding by hand and a spout through which the tea is served. Some teapots have a strainer built-in on the inner edge of the spout. A small air hole in
237-578: A Chinese tool used for tea ceremonies, although the Chinese tool may have been used to boil water, and it is unclear if it was used to steep tea at the time. In Japan, kyusu was used since at least the 18th century. The side arrangement of the handle is considered to be unique to Japan, however, the same feature can be found in some of the Chinese tools mentioned above. In Morocco, stainless steel teapots are an essential to make Moroccan mint tea . Moroccan teapots are heat resistant and can be put directly on
316-486: A Western teapot . Traditionally, heated sake is often warmed by placing the sake -filled tokkuri in a pan of hot water, and thus the narrowed neck would prevent the heat from escaping. In more authentic places such as oden bars and ryōtei in Japan, sake is sometimes warmed and served in metal containers known as chirori ( 銚釐 ) or tanpo ( 湯婆 ). Recently, glass chirori are also used to chill sake. Formerly, sake
395-602: A bowl with finely ground tea leaves. A brush was then used to stir the tea. Written evidence of a teapot appears in the Yuan dynasty text Jiyuan Conghua , which describes a teapot that the author, Cai Shizhan, bought from the scholar Sun Daoming . By the Ming dynasty , teapots were widespread in China. There are early examples of teapots, like the ones made in Jun ware and the eight-lobed celadon pots of
474-498: A broken ceramic handle started soon after introduction of tea to Europe: the vessels were expensive and were not thrown away once damaged. To underscore the preciousness of the repaired teapot, the sockets were occasionally made from gilt silver . One phenomenon that occurs with some teapots is that of dribbling where the flow runs down the outside of the spout particularly as the flow starts or stops. Different explanations for this phenomenon have been proposed at various times. Making
553-435: A component of umami , into tannins , the source of bitterness and astringency, resulting in the growth of tea leaves with a high umami content. It has also been reported that shaded cultivation increases the amount of chlorophyll within tea leaves, resulting in a bright green color. Until then, matcha tea introduced from China had been brown in color, just as brown is described as "the color of tea" ( 茶色 ) in Japan. Since
632-447: A fire and then grinding it in a wooden grinder called a niǎn ( 碾 , Japanese : yagen ), boiling water in a pot, adding salt when it boils, and then adding the tea powder to the boiling water and boiling it until it foamed. The tea was also sometimes mixed with green onions, ginger, jujubes, mandarin orange peels, Tetradium ruticarpum , and mint. During the Song dynasty (960–1279),
711-523: A loosely fitting lid or a vent hole at the top of the pot, usually in the lid. The built-in strainer at the base of the spout got borrowed from coffeepots that in turn get this feature from the vessels designed for other liquids (the earliest known built-in strainer dates back to 1300 BC ). The coffee drip brew and coffee percolator were invented in the beginning of the 19th century, similar designs for tea were developed soon after that. Modern infusers originated in 1817, when an English patent
790-507: A major disadvantage: the thermal conductivity of silver is the highest of any metal. Therefore the handles of antique silver teapots were often made of wood (often apple-wood or pear-wood) or ivory. If the handles were made from silver, they would be attached to the body of the pot with thermally-insulating plugs, usually made from ivory. Without such features, the teapot would be uncomfortable or painful to pick-up when filled with hot tea. Teapots made of tin arrived around 1700, allowing for
869-575: A pitcher-like shape. The Yixing teapots came to Europe with the tea and became known as boccarro ("large mouth" in Portuguese). The Chinese teapot models were used, since the preservation of the Chinese way of drinking was considered to be essential. The first known order for teapots "with covers and handles" dates back to 1639. Porcelain teapots were particularly desirable because porcelain could not be made in Europe at that time, and tea drinking in Europe
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#1732891241359948-500: A result, lump tea became an expensive and complicated product during the Song dynasty, and some suggest that this contributed to its rapid decline after the Ming dynasty. In the Ming dynasty , the first emperor Zhu Yuanzhang issued a ban on the production of compressed tea in 1391, which led to the abandonment of compressed tea in China, and a method similar to the modern one, in which loose tea
1027-449: A specialized container. When tea preparation switched to infusion (during the late Yuan dynasty ), at first an ewer -like vessel were used for this purpose. Tea preparation during previous dynasties did not use a teapot. In the Tang dynasty , a cauldron was used to boil ground tea, which was served in bowls. Song dynasty tea was made by boiling water in a kettle then pouring the water into
1106-477: A stone mill specialized for tea appeared and was used to grind tea leaves, resulting in finer particles and improved matcha quality. During the Muromachi period (1333-1573), tea spread to the common people. Among the upper classes, the act of drinking tea on expensive Chinese ceramics called karamono ( 唐物 , lit. ' Tang Dynasty things ' ) became popular. In the 16th century, however, simplicity
1185-508: A strong aroma, and was coated with oil and fat flavoring to make the surface of the lump shiny, to the point that the tea's original aroma was extinguished. Cai Xiang criticized such processing. In addition, the ideal color of tea was considered to be white, rather than green or brown. However, since tea powder could not usually be made white, various processing methods had to be used to make it white. For example, tea buds were plucked when they had just sprouted and repeatedly squeezed, and water
1264-592: A tea urn containing tea seeds from Eisai, sowed tea seeds in Togano'o, Kyoto , and opened a tea plantation. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Tsugano'o tea was called honcha ( 本茶 , lit. ' real tea ' ) , while teas from other regions was called hicha ( 非茶 , lit. ' Non-tea ' ) . Tsugano'o tea gained the highest reputation. He also established tea plantations in Uji , Kyoto. Uji thus became
1343-480: A teapot could be used to make tea, provided that the walls of the teapot were more than one centimetre thick. A teapot has a rather distinctive shape, and its fame may sometimes have little to do with its primary function. Powdered tea Matcha ( 抹茶 ) / ˈ m æ tʃ ə , ˈ m ɑː tʃ ə / is a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves that originated in China . Later,
1422-443: A teapot. In the last half of the 18th century, English factories introduced the matched sets of teaware. The original demand for "China" porcelain tea sets was eventually replaced, at least among the wealthy, with enthusiasm for silver pieces that were extensively produced by the end of the reign of George III . This period also saw a reduction in the price of tea, so teapots became larger. Also, cheaper pewter sets were made for
1501-490: A traditional serving utensil, a shot glass is also used. In the United States, it is used as a substitute for ochoko, while in Japan it is used in conjunction with masu . Sake stemware is also used, which is essentially a glass sake cup elevated above a wide base. Sake stemware, as well as glass tokkuri, are now commonly used to serve chilled sake. Teapot A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or
1580-461: A very low-cost designs. At the same time the use of britanniaware had started. Nickel plating was introduced in the second half of the 19th century. Teapots from earthenware were produced in Staffordshire from 1720 to 1780, with curious shapes (animals, houses, etc.) made possible by using molds (and not the throwing wheel ). Enamelware was in wide use at the end of the 19th century. In
1659-543: Is generally believed to have been introduced to Japan from the Song Dynasty (China) by Zen monk Eisai in 1191, along with tea seeds. He wrote Kissa Yōjōki ( 喫茶養生記 , lit. ' book of drinking tea for curing ' ) and presented it to Minamoto no Sanetomo , the third shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate , in 1214. At that time, tea was considered a kind of medicine. The Kissa Yōjōki describes how tea
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#17328912413591738-505: Is steeped in hot water and extracted, became the mainstream. In Shen Defu 's Wanli ye huo bian (Unofficial Gleanings of the Wanli Era, Chinese : 萬厲野獲編 ), it is recorded that "At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, teas from all over China were offered to the emperor, of which Jianning tea and Yángxiàn tea were the most highly valued. At that time, the Song dynasty production method
1817-473: Is suspended in a liquid, typically water or milk. The traditional Japanese tea ceremony , typically known as "chanoyu" (茶の湯), centers on the preparation, serving and drinking of matcha as hot tea, and embodies a meditative spirituality. In modern times, matcha is also used to flavor and dye foods such as mochi and soba noodles, green tea ice cream , matcha lattes and a variety of Japanese wagashi confectionery. In Japan, labeling standards based on
1896-478: Is the first tea of the year, plucked in late April to late May. Niban-cha is the second tea plucked about 45 days after ichiban-cha is plucked. Ichiban-cha contains more total nitrogen and free amino acids, which contribute to its flavor, while niban-cha contains more tannin ( catechins ), which is the bitter component. Commercial considerations, especially outside Japan, have increasingly seen matcha marketed according to "grades", indicating quality. Of
1975-462: The Food Labeling Law (enacted in 2015) define which teas can be labeled and sold as matcha. According to the law, matcha is defined as powdered tea made by grinding tea leaves, called tencha ( 碾茶 ) , using a tea millstone to a fine powder. Tencha refers to tea leaves grown under shade, steamed, and dried without kneading. In tencha , hard parts such as stems and veins are removed from
2054-560: The Record of Tea , the finer the sieve, the more the tea floats; the coarser the sieve, the more the tea sinks, so it seems that the particles of the powder were larger than those of modern matcha. The tea ceremonies at Kennin-ji Temple in Kyoto and Engaku-ji Temple in Kamakura are examples of the traditions of the Song dynasty. The lump tea presented to the emperor was mixed with borneol , which had
2133-403: The Song dynasty (960-1279). According to these documents, high-grade lump tea (compressed tea), as typified by Lóngfèng Tuánchá ( 龍鳳團茶 , lit. ' Dragon and Phoenix Lump Tea ' ), was ground to powder with a metal niǎn , then sifted, after which the powder was poured into a tea bowl, hot water was poured into the bowl, and the tea was prepared with a tea whisk. According to
2212-459: The Yuan dynasty contains the words mòchá ( 末茶 ) and mòzichá ( 末子茶 ), and there is a theory that these words came to be called "matcha" in Japan. However, this book was published about 100 years after Eisai, and no documents have been found to indicate whether those words were introduced to Japan and changed to matcha by the 16th century. Eisai's disciple, the monk Myōe (1173-1232), received
2291-451: The shogun , the imperial court, and feudal lords, and did not sell tea to the common people. The shaded cultivation of tea was allowed only to Uji tea masters, and the production of high-grade matcha and gyokuro (high-grade sencha) was monopolized by the Uji tea masters. The oldest known brand of matcha is Baba Mukashi ( 祖母昔 , lit. ' grandmother's old days ' ) . Grandmother
2370-424: The 20th century as a practical and decorative object in the kitchen. Teapots evolved from the designs where the lid was resting in a recess of the body of the vessel to the lid sitting on top of the body, and then to the modern design with the deep flanges of the lid preventing it from falling out. When the tea is being poured out, outside air needs to enter the body of the teapot; therefore design involves either
2449-425: The 20th century, use of aluminum became popular. Arrival of the heatproof glass made a glass teapot possible, with the first "Teaket" design manufactured in 1932. The early European teapots frequently had wooden handles replacements made from pear, hornbeam , sycamore , either stained or ebonized (sometimes even made from ebony ), connected to the body of the pot using metal sockets. Use of wood to repair
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2528-526: The Chinese bocarro designs. Many English potteries, however, decided not to risk money on the new material, and continued the manufacturing of earthenware and stoneware pots; the famed creamware services made in Staffordshire reached popularity in the second half of the 18th century. At the turn of 18th century, design and decoration of the European teapot started to deviate from the Chinese tradition, with
2607-832: The Muromachi period, the term tea master ( 茶師 , chashi ) has been used to refer to a tea manufacturer and seller. In the Edo period (1603-1867), the term tea master came to refer specifically to the official tea masters ( 御用茶師 , goyō chashi ) of Uji, Kyoto, whose status was guaranteed by the Tokugawa shogunate . There were three ranks of Uji tea masters: gomotsu tea masters ( 御物茶師 , gomotsu chashi ) , ofukuro tea masters ( 御袋茶師 , ofukuro chashi ) , and otōri tea masters ( 御通茶師 , otōri chashi ) . Uji tea masters were allowed to use their family names and carry swords at their waists like samurai, and they dealt exclusively with
2686-531: The Shogun was called Ochatsubo Dōchū ( 御茶壺道中 , lit. ' tea jar journey ' ) , and even the lords had to stand by the road when the procession carrying the tea jars passed through the streets. After the Meiji Restoration (1868), Uji tea growers, who had monopolized the production of tencha under shaded cultivation, lost their privileged position. They also lost their business partners, such as
2765-445: The Shogun, were well-known brands of matcha. Taka no Tsume ( 鷹の爪 , lit. ' hawk's claw ' ) and Shiro ( 白 , lit. ' white ' ) brand teas were also well known. At that time, matcha was shipped in tea jars filled with tencha in its leaf form, which was ground into a powdered form using a tea grinder when drunk. The event of transporting tea jars from Uji, Kyoto to Edo (now Tokyo) to present to
2844-642: The Song-Yuan times, but an expert on Yixing ware , Kuei-Hsiang Lo , believes that the first teapots made especially for tea appeared around 1500 as copies of much earlier Yixing wine pots. The earliest example of such teapot that has survived to this day seems to be the one in the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware ; it has been dated to 1513 and is attributed to Gong Chun, the "father of Yixing teapot". Early teapots, like those still used in modern Gongfu tea ceremony , are small by western standards meant for
2923-431: The amount of tencha and matcha in circulation, it is estimated that two-thirds of the matcha distributed globally does not meet the original definition of matcha. In China during the Tang dynasty (618–907), tea leaves were steamed and formed into compressed tea (tea bricks) for storage and trade. According to Lu Yu 's The Classic of Tea (760-762), tea was first made by roasting compressed tea in solid form over
3002-453: The characteristic green color of modern matcha was developed in Japan , where most matcha is produced today. In the 12th century at the latest, Chinese compressed tea , the raw material for matcha, was introduced to Japan. When the production of compressed tea was banned in China in 1391, matcha was abandoned in China but continued to develop in Japan thereafter. When the method of shaded growing
3081-400: The common people. During the Tang dynasty , "bitter when sipped and sweet when swallowed" ( The Classic of Tea ) was regarded as the true taste of tea. However, during the Song dynasty, this ideal was forcibly replaced by four characteristics: "aroma, sweetness, richness, and smoothness" ( Treatise on Tea ). This was an attempt to completely eliminate the bitterness that tea naturally has. As
3160-466: The emperor." With the ban on compressed tea, matcha, a powder made from it, also fell into disuse in China. From then on, matcha was to evolve in Japan based on Japanese aesthetics and principles. Some historians have pointed out that since the Ming Dynasty was a heavily agriculturalist dynasty with a strong spirit of respect for the military, and the Hongwu Emperor was a man who had risen from
3239-482: The external surface of the spout more hydrophobic, and reducing the radius of curvature of the inside of the tip so that the flow detaches cleanly can avoid dribbling. A chocolate teapot is an analogy for any useless item; a teapot made from chocolate would melt, and be impossible to use. Experimental researchers in 2001 did indeed fail to successfully use a chocolate teapot they had made. Later research, however, by The Naked Scientists in 2008, showed that such
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3318-451: The fine, bright green, talc-like powder known as matcha . Grinding the leaves is a slow process because the mill stones must not get too warm, lest the aroma of the leaves be altered. Up to one hour may be needed to grind 30 grams of matcha. The flavor of matcha is dominated by its amino acids . The highest grades of matcha have a more intense sweetness and deeper flavor than the standard or coarser grades of tea harvested later in
3397-410: The first half of the 15th century at the latest. This method, which was initiated to protect the sprouts from frost damage, resulted in the development of the unique Japanese matcha ( tencha ), which was bright green, had a unique aroma and flavor, and was of dramatically improved quality. By blocking sunlight, photosynthesis in tea leaves is inhibited, preventing the transformation of theanine ,
3476-509: The flavor of the sake. Furthermore, tradition requires the masu be filled to the rim as a sign of prosperity. Masu are now commonly made of lacquerware or even of ABS plastic . As the traditional sake-serving cup and a symbol of prosperity due to sharing the same pronunciation as the Japanese word for increase/proliferate ( 増す ), the masu is still used in modern times for the purpose of ceremony or to show generosity. In some Japanese restaurants,
3555-508: The flavor of the tea going forward. Some Gongfu practitioners designate their unglazed pots for specific types, sometimes even specific varietals of tea. From the end of the 17th century tea was shipped from China to Europe as part of the export of exotic spices and luxury goods. The ships that brought the tea also carried porcelain teapots. The majority of these teapots were painted in blue and white underglaze . Porcelain, being completely vitrified, will withstand sea water without damage, so
3634-414: The individual consumption of tea. They use a higher ratio of leaves to water, which enables the brewer to control the variables of brewing to create several small infusions. After brewing, tea would then be decanted into a separate vessel, and distributed into the small cups of several drinkers, and brewed again. This allows the tea to be skillfully brewed, and for the flavor changes to be experienced through
3713-410: The leading tea production area in Japan. In Japan, matcha then became an important item at Zen monasteries, and from the 14th through the 16th centuries, it was highly appreciated by members of the upper echelons of society. Until the 13th century, matcha was made by grinding tea leaves in a grinder called a yagen ( 薬研 ) , but the particles were rough and coarse in texture; in the 14th century,
3792-428: The leaves a darker shade of green, and causes the production of amino acids , in particular theanine . After harvesting, if the leaves are rolled up before drying as in the production of sencha (煎茶), the result will be gyokuro (jade dew) tea. If the leaves are laid out flat to dry, however, they will crumble somewhat and become known as tencha ( 碾茶 ). Then, tencha may be deveined, destemmed, and stone-ground to
3871-422: The leaves are instead left to dry rather than be kneaded. Since the leaves' cell walls are still intact, brewing tencha tea results in a pale green brew, which has a mellower taste compared to other green tea extracts, and only the highest grade of tencha leaves can brew to its fullest flavor. Tencha leaves are half the weight of other tea leaves such as sencha and gyokuro so most tencha brews require double
3950-519: The leaves as they steep or to catch the leaves inside the teapot when the tea is poured. The switch to specialized vessel for tea brewing was powered by the change from the powdered tea to leaf tea and from whipping to steeping that occurred in China. It is hard to exactly pinpoint the time of the invention of a teapot, since vessels in the shapes similar to the modern teapot were known in China since Neolithic period , but were initially used for water and wine, as boiling or whipping tea did not require
4029-504: The less-affluent, mostly as simplified copies of the silver pieces. In colonial America, Boston became the epicenter for silver production and artistry. Among the many artists in Boston there were four major families in the city's silver market: Edwards, Revere, Burt and Hurd. Their works of art included silver teapots. Two new "Colonial" shapes appeared in the late Georgian period : oval and octagonal teapots with flat bases, plain handles in
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#17328912413594108-424: The lid is often created to stop the spout from dripping and splashing when tea is poured. In modern times, a thermally insulating cover called a tea cosy may be used to enhance the steeping process or to prevent the contents of the teapot from cooling too rapidly. Dry tea is available either in tea bags or as loose tea , in which case a tea infuser or tea strainer may be of some assistance, either to hold
4187-566: The lowest strata of society, he may have disliked the excessively refined and extravagant compressed tea. The first documented evidence of tea in Japan dates to the 9th century. It is found in an entry in the Nihon Kōki having to do with the Buddhist monk Eichū ( 永忠 ) , who is thought to have brought some tea back to Japan on his return from China. The entry states that Eichū personally prepared and served sencha ( 煎茶 ) to Emperor Saga , who
4266-528: The method of growing tea plants in the shade by covering them with straw or reeds originated in Japan in the late 16th century. For example, the Portuguese missionary João Rodrigues Tçuzu , who came to Japan in 1577, wrote about shaded cultivation in his History of the Japanese Church (Historia da Igreja do Japão) in 1604. However, recent soil analyses of Uji tea plantations have revealed that it began in
4345-491: The method of making powdered tea from steam-prepared dried tea leaves and preparing the beverage by whipping the tea powder and hot water together in a bowl became popular. Although the term "matcha" ( 抹茶 ) is not used, powdered tea prepared with a tea whisk is believed to have originated at the latest in the 11th century in China. The most famous references to powdered tea are Cai Xiang 's Record of Tea (1049-1053) and Emperor Huizong 's Treatise on Tea (1107), both from
4424-620: The number of leaves. About an hour is needed to grind 40 to 70 g of tencha leaves into matcha, and matcha does not retain its freshness as long as tencha in powder form because powder begins to oxidize. Drinking and brewing tencha is traditionally prohibited by the Japanese tea ceremony. Until the Edo period (1603-1867), the production of matcha ( tencha ) was monopolized by tea growers in Uji, Kyoto. The best brands of matcha at that time were Baba Mukashi ( 祖母昔 ) , Hatsu Mukashi ( 初昔 ) , and Ato Mukashi ( 後昔 ) , which were offered to
4503-410: The pear shape, or pyriform being the first major novation. An early English pyriform teapot dates back to 1690, the shape became widespread at the time of Queen Anne and remains in vogue since then. The other popular shapes in the 18th century were "globular" (sphere-like vessel on a raised foot) and a vase (or urn, Louis XV style ), with the latter being a rare comeback to the wine-pot origins of
4582-665: The server may put a glass inside the masu (or put the masu inside a saucer) and pour until the sake overflows and spills into the secondary container to symbolize this wealth. Nowadays, the sake is typically served in ceramic cups. The cups used for drinking sake are generally small cylindrical vessels called o-choko or choko ( 猪口 , o- is an honorific prefix in Japanese used such as o-sake and o-makase ), but may also include flatter shapes such as wide-mouthed bowls. Sakazuki are ceremonial cups used most commonly at weddings and other special occasions such as tea ceremonies , but larger versions of sakazuki also exist. While not
4661-414: The shape of C, and, frequently, straight tapering spouts. Ability of a teapot to keep heat depends on the material, for example, stoneware is supposed to keep the heat better than porcelain. To keep teapots hot after tea is first brewed, English households since 18th century employed the tea cosy , a padded fabric covering, much like a hat, that slips over the tea pot. The tea cosy got very popular in
4740-432: The shogun. Uji tea growers still sell these brands today. Today, various tea stores sell their own grades of brand-name teas. Although there are no clear standards for matcha grades by the Japanese government or tea industry associations, there is a traditional distinction between ichiban-cha ( 一番茶 , lit. ' first tea ' ) and niban-cha ( 二番茶 , lit. ' second tea ' ) . Ichiban-cha
4819-578: The shoguns and feudal lords. On the other hand, shaded cultivation became possible outside of Uji. In the Taishō era (1912-1926), the invention of the " tencha dryer" promoted the mechanization of tea production. Matcha is made from shade-grown tea leaves that also are used to make gyokuro . The preparation of matcha starts several weeks before harvest and may last up to 20 days, when the tea bushes are covered to prevent direct sunlight. This slows down growth, stimulates an increase in chlorophyll levels, turns
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#17328912413594898-579: The stove. With colorful tea glasses, they are part of the Moroccan tea ritual. The tea is considered to be drinkable only when it has foam on top. Teapots have a long curved spout in order to pour tea from a height of around 12 inches (30 cm) above the glasses, which produces foam on the surface of the tea. Their designs can range from simple to heavily-decorated. Teapots for butter tea in Tibet evolved simultaneously with teapots of China, eventually settling on
4977-486: The tea leaves destroys the cells and makes it easier for its ingredients to dissolve in hot water. Matcha, however, does not require kneading because the powder is dissolved directly in hot water. Because of this difference in the production process, in Japan, sencha and other simply powdered green teas cannot be labeled or sold as matcha. They are called powdered tea ( 粉末茶 ) and sold as powdered green tea ( 粉末緑茶 ) or instant tea ( インスタント茶 ) in Japan. When comparing
5056-413: The tea leaves. As a result, tencha has a rich aroma and a mild taste, characterized by little bitterness. While high-grade matcha is ground using a special millstone, matcha made with an ordinary grinder can still be labeled as such. Sencha ( 煎茶 ) , a popular green tea in Japan, involves kneading tea leaves during manufacturing, whereas matcha is not kneaded. In the case of sencha , kneading
5135-422: The teapots were packed below deck whilst the tea was stowed above deck to ensure that it remained dry. The kyūsu (急須), a common and traditional teapot in Japan, differs from the Chinese teapot in that it has a handle facing sideways to the spout although some kyusu, like their Chinese counterparts, have the handle located opposite the spout. Kyusu is frequently made of ceramics. The kyūsu, has its origins in
5214-416: The various infusions. Teapots made from pottery materials such as clay have been hand-fired for tens of thousands of years, originally in China. Clay is a popular material for teapots, as they tend to retain heat very well. Many traditional Chinese teaware is yixing ware . Yixing and other regional clays are left unglazed. This allows the clay to absorb the flavor of the teas brewed over time, and enhance
5293-463: The year. The majority of matcha today is produced in Japan , where it is highly regarded as part of the tea ceremony ( chanoyu ) but rarely used otherwise. China and Vietnam also produce some matcha intended for export to the Japanese market, but they are regarded as inferior to the Japanese product and typically used in iced beverages, for example. Tencha refers to green tea leaves that have not yet been ground into fine powder as matcha , as
5372-655: Was Myōshūni ( 妙秀尼 , died 1598), daughter of Rokkaku Yoshikata , who married Kanbayashi Hisashige. She was called "Baba" (grandmother) by Tokugawa Ieyasu . Myōshūni excelled in tea making, and Ieyasu often enjoyed drinking her tea. The matcha made by her method was named Baba Mukashi , and later became the tea offered to the Shogun . According to one theory, Baba Mukashi was named by Ieyasu. Other than Baba Mukashi , Hatsu Mukashi ( 初昔 , lit. ' first old days ' ) and Ato Mukashi ( 後昔 , lit. ' later old days ' ) , which were also presented to
5451-477: Was a brownish-black lump tea, not green like today's matcha. It is thought that this lump tea was powdered by a grinder and consumed as matcha. The word matcha ( 抹茶 ) can be found in neither Chinese literature of the time nor Eisai's book. In Japan, the word "matcha" first appears in the Japanese language dictionary Unpo Iroha Shū (1548) compiled in the Muromachi period (1336-1573). The Book of Agriculture (1313) by Wang Zhen ( fl. 1290–1333) of
5530-409: Was added repeatedly to grind them. There was also a brand of white tea called "water buds" ( 水芽 ), in which the leafy part of the bud was removed and only the veins were used as raw material. The complex manufacturing process of lump tea during the Song dynasty required significant labor and money, and even the slightest error could result in failure. Consequently, it was expensive and inaccessible to
5609-456: Was emphasized by tea masters such as Murata Jukō and Sen no Rikyū . By emphasizing introspection over boasting and obsession, the Japanese tea ceremony was born and developed, featuring tea served in rather simple utensils. The wabi-sabi aesthetic, which finds beauty in modesty, simplicity, and imperfection, came to be emphasized along with the tea ceremony. It was conventionally believed that
5688-428: Was granted for a "tea or coffee biggin", a metal basket that sat at the bottom of the teapot. Many more tea leaf holder designs had followed, with tea ball and tea-making spoon arriving in the first half of the 19th century. The first automated electric teapot was invented in 1909. The typical materials used for teapots have been stoneware (Yixing), porcelain , silver and gold. Making teapots from silver has
5767-516: Was initially the preserve of the upper classes. European teapots at the time were made of silver, with the earliest preserved English one, at the Victoria and Albert Museum , dated 1670, it looks identical to the earlier coffee pots and can be identified as a teapot only through an inscription. At the same time, the production of the copies of the Chinese earthenware teapots started (Fulham Pottery in London
5846-442: Was invented in Japan in the 15th century, matcha transformed into a bright green tea from its previous brown color. Tea plants used for matcha are shade-grown for three to four weeks before harvest; the stems and veins are removed during processing. During shaded growth, the plant Camellia sinensis increases in theanine and caffeine production. The powdered form of matcha is consumed differently from tea leaves or tea bags, as it
5925-420: Was made in the Song dynasty as seen by Eisai. It states that tea leaves were plucked in the morning, steamed immediately, and then placed in a roasting rack to roast all night. This process is believed to have been introduced to Japan at that time, but the major difference is that today's matcha production process does not include a long roasting process, except for drying for about 30 minutes. The tea at that time
6004-548: Was manufacturing these already in 1670). It was not until 1708 that the first successful experiments by von Tschirnhaus enabled Böttger , and the Meissen factory in Dresden started the operation in 1710 and produced good copies of Japanese Kakiemon and Imari porcelain. When European potteries in Holland, Germany, and England began to make their own tea wares they at first imitated
6083-496: Was on an excursion in Karasaki (in present Shiga Prefecture ) in 815. This sencha is thought to be Chinese compressed tea, not sencha as we know it today, in which tea leaves are steeped in hot water to extract the ingredients. By imperial order in 816, tea plantations were established in the Kinki region of Japan. However, interest in tea in Japan faded after this. Matcha ( 抹茶 )
6162-412: Was sold by volume in a wooden box measuring cup, known as a masu which has a volume of one gō (180 ml, 6.3 imp fl oz, 6.1 US fl oz) and was also used to drink. In the past, the wooden box was said to complement the traditionally brewed sake, as it is brewed in a wooden cask ( 樽 ), but in modern times, the masu is shunned by sake purists because the wood affects
6241-465: Was still in effect, and all the tea offered was ground and kneaded with a medicine grinder into a shape known as a Lóngtuán ( 龍團 , lit. ' lump of dragon ' ), both large and small. However, in September of the 24th year of Hongwu, the emperor had the production of lóngtuán discontinued due to the heavy burden on the people's power. Instead, he made them pluck only tea buds and offer them to
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