Make tea, not war
"Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence [...]. It is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life."
-Okakura Kakuzo, The Book of Tea, 1906
I am in love with Roji Tea Lounge. They have a little card that gets stamped every time you're there and when it's full you can have any one thing on the menu for free. Since my card was full I treated myself to the most expensive tea they have: Bai Hao or Oriental Beauty Oolong. I can say, without a doubt, this is the most exquisite brew I have ever tasted. It is complex and yet delicate, with a full flavor, but no bitterness. Its aroma is nutty with a hint of peach pit, but the tea's natural sweetness is very gentle. The smallest sip is completely satisfying.
The picture above is the closest I could find to the tea set that was provided to me today. It is called a yixing tea set. There is a small ceramic pot for steeping, a larger pitcher to hold the tea as you drink it so it doesn't over-steep, a cup for drinking and a narrower smelling cup, all served on a slotted wooden board. As the tea brews, the cups and pitcher are drenched in hot water to warm them up. The tea is then poured into the pitcher. From the pitcher it is poured into the tall, narrow smelling cup, which is covered by the stouter drinking cup. Both cups are flipped over, creating a bit of a vacuum between them. When you are ready to drink, you carefully swirl the smelling cup to release the tea into the drinking cup, and lift the smelling cup to your nose to enjoy the aroma before sipping the tea.
The first taste is free. I have a feeling I'll be back for more.
-Okakura Kakuzo, The Book of Tea, 1906
I am in love with Roji Tea Lounge. They have a little card that gets stamped every time you're there and when it's full you can have any one thing on the menu for free. Since my card was full I treated myself to the most expensive tea they have: Bai Hao or Oriental Beauty Oolong. I can say, without a doubt, this is the most exquisite brew I have ever tasted. It is complex and yet delicate, with a full flavor, but no bitterness. Its aroma is nutty with a hint of peach pit, but the tea's natural sweetness is very gentle. The smallest sip is completely satisfying.
The picture above is the closest I could find to the tea set that was provided to me today. It is called a yixing tea set. There is a small ceramic pot for steeping, a larger pitcher to hold the tea as you drink it so it doesn't over-steep, a cup for drinking and a narrower smelling cup, all served on a slotted wooden board. As the tea brews, the cups and pitcher are drenched in hot water to warm them up. The tea is then poured into the pitcher. From the pitcher it is poured into the tall, narrow smelling cup, which is covered by the stouter drinking cup. Both cups are flipped over, creating a bit of a vacuum between them. When you are ready to drink, you carefully swirl the smelling cup to release the tea into the drinking cup, and lift the smelling cup to your nose to enjoy the aroma before sipping the tea.
The first taste is free. I have a feeling I'll be back for more.