As it is getting quite chilly in the evenings, I’m already starting to wear my autumn clothes. This is quite opposite to my Japanese family and friends, who are complaining about how hot the weather is in Japan. It is still over 30 degrees in Tokyo, and they are waiting for signs of autumn! I’ll be able to find out how it is as I’m soon flying to Japan for 10 days where I’ll be meeting up with some new suppliers. In the meantime, my wonderful colleagues will be taking care of everything back here, so you’ll be as welcome as ever to come to our workshop to purchase anything in person, as well as ordering any items online.
The different seasons of the year are a strong part of the tea ceremony, and September is a wonderful month for appreciating how beautiful the moon is. My family used to place some dumplings and bunch of grass in the best position in the house in view of the full moon. Those dumplings were made of rice powder, which meant we were showing the benefit of the year’s harvest to the new moon. This practice started in the Edo period (1603 to 1868), when the moon became an object of worship. At around this time of year, when the weather starts to get cooler, the air is clearer and the moon becomes more visible. At this time the moon gains in religious significance and art practice – there are very similar ideas in the Japanese tea ceremony.
My mother used to cook these dumplings the day after the full moon, which was a wonderful snack for us after school. I will never forget the smell of cooked dumplings with soy source and brown sugar!
According to the Japanese seasonal events encyclopedia, the Japanese people used to eat edamame and chestnuts on the thirteenth night (13th September), just before the full moon (what is called the Waxing Gibbous Moon – or the Almost Full Moon). So we believe it is particularly Japanese to celebrate not only the full moon, but also the ‘almost full moon’. This might be linked to the idea of Wabi-sabi, the notion of ‘perfect imperfection’, where we think that the imperfect full moon is more elegant, and sparks our imagination to a greater degree, than the perfect full moon. I don’t know the reason of why we used to have edamame and chestnuts for thirteenth night, just perhaps it was the best season for them! It is always such a luxury to have the best of the season’s food. If you cannot get fresh edamame right now, I think wasabi edamame would be a good alternative.
To be in time for these great events, we have just launched a new seasonal matcha, ‘Tsukikage’ (moon shadow), which celebrates the Harvest Moon. It might be a lovely idea to try this matcha tea, while you are enjoying the wonderful full moon, or the ‘almost full moon’?
We have also launched an organic hojicha (roasted green tea) powder, ‘Yuzuki’ (evening moon). As you might know, it is extremely difficult to produce organic tea in Japan, as the regulations are so strict for organic farmers. The farmers are frequently losing their organic certificates, as investigators find substances on their tea leaves, which can even be particles that have blown in from a neighbour’s fertilizer, or car fumes from the road. Our new hojicha powder is properly licensed as an organic tea, and has the most wonderful taste too. I recommend this organic hojicha powder for hojicha latte, hojicha cakes and even hojicha ice cream! Matcha can contain quite a lot of caffeine, but hojicha contains only 4% caffeine. So if you drink matcha latte during the day-time, you could enjoy a hojicha latte after five o’clock! If you like hojicha without milk, I’d recommend our hojicha loose tea.
How to make the best hojicha latte：
- Put 3 to 5 g of organic hojicha powder into the cup.
- Pour in 30 to 50ml of hot water and mix with a small whisk or spoon.
- Pour in 30 to 50ml of warm milk and mix with hojicha tea.
Personally I like Bonsoy milk for my latte. It is made from Japanese soy beans, so is sweeter than other makes of soy milk. It is very much your choice though, as everyone has a different palette.
I am planning to make a recipe for hojicha cake with our organic hojicha powder. I had this kind of cake in Brighton a couple of years ago and it was the best kind of hojicha cake I’ve ever tasted. I am going to try and re-produce it and will let you know how I get on. I’ll send you the recipe as soon as I have perfected it!
As the weather is getting cooler, it’s definitely time to enjoy a warm cup of tea at home. We have some more spaces at our tea tasting workshop on 10th October. It will give you a chance to taste the best Gyokuro tea from the Yame region, Genmai cha (green tea with roasted rice), Sencha (Japanese green tea), and Hojicha from Kyoto as well. Gyokuro is a rather expensive tea, so it’s a great opportunity to taste it before you make a decision! I do hope to see you at this workshop. Then you’ll be all set for that perfect cup of tea at home!
Finally, just to remind you about our dedicated pop-up store, which is on from now until Christmas. If you want to purchase any of our teas, tea wares or ceramics, do please come and visit our workshop in Ladbroke Grove. You could also order something and collect it at the pop-up store. Plus our sister brand Nishura East is showcasing their contemporary Japanese design at the store!
Studio 5.01 and 5.12
Grand Union Studios, 332 Ladbroke Grove, London, W10 5AD
Monday to Friday till end of October
10:00 to 6:30
Monday to Saturday from November
10:00 to 6:30
I might see the ‘almost full moon’ this evening. And the full moon tomorrow will be a special Harvest Moon, with a partial lunar eclipse!