Flushing out the bad stuff

It has been a full week of Obama, cameronies and lies dominating some of the world's crappiest news channels forced upon us. Add to that a persistent flu that would not go away. The solution? Brewing some twig tea, otherwise known as kukicha, a blend of stems, stalks and twigs.

Kukicha is made from Sencha. When made from Gyokuro or Matcha production, it is termed Karigane. In my case, this is a matcha karigane tea that has been carefully roasted to bring out its nutty scent and creamy sweet taste.

You will notice that the colour of a karigane infusion shares the same jade green colour with regular Sencha, yet ever so slightly lighter. In terms of taste, twig teas as a result of their composition, tend to be sweeter and less astringent. It is widely thought that the greener varieties are best steeped for less than a minute to minimise unsavoury tastes and flavours.

This matcha karigane (less green, with an overall yellowish hue due to storage) that I brewed was sufficiently sweet despite the use of just boiled water, way hotter than the recommended 80 degrees Celsius. This is most likely attributed to a two year aging process in its original packaging prior to brewing.

Sweet tea to detox the body, mind and soul. Ahhhh... now I'm ready to take on the world yet again.

How I enjoy my matcha bowl

Japanese ceramics have always had a special place in my heart. The misconstrued imperfections such as a random patch of red in the glaze actually make the tea bowl more perfect in its display of beauty. Instead of trying to hide or manipulate features to look as symmetrical (and likely artificial in the process) as possible, the asymmetry form can be as flattering.

Consider women blessed without facial abnormalities who bear the heavier burden of looking even better and more often than not subscribe to cosmetic procedures and associated promises of the ideal size, shape, etc. Why not celebrate beauty at its natural best? After all, like this gorgeous green frothy matcha, no two bubbles are alike: some larger, others smaller.

Happy international women's day!

Whisking tea

 

It was not until two years ago that I learnt that preparing matcha tea with a bamboo whisk in fact originated from the Song Dynasty in China, before it became a common practice in Japan and has remained so ever since.

The movements of whisking this finely ground tea and the variations in strength behind these seemingly repetitive strokes involve skills that come with a lot of practice and focus. Whisking too lightly at the surface will not produce sufficient froth. Yet, a hurried and heavy-handed approach to whisking will only result in bubbles that disappear altogether once the movements stop.

My third attempt

I have to admit that it can be challenging, yet very fun to find out for yourself when you should mix the powdered mixture slowly but more forcefully, when whisking begins and gradually picks up speed, and you can reduce the strength of whisking. The result speaks for itself: the frothier it looks, the creamier it tastes. Through matcha, green tea has shown us its lesser known side of depth, complexity and stunning flavours that reveal themselves to the one who pays undivided attention during the preparatory stages.

This exercise of preparing ground tea seems very holistic. On one hand we need the arm and wrist movements, on the other hand mental concentration and alertness. Once satisfied with the result, your muscles come to a rest and you realise how fast your heart was pumping for the last few minutes.

Have fun practising. The discoveries you make along the way and at the end of the journey may surprise you.

Die schönen Dinge im Leben genießen

Tee zu trinken dient sicherlich der Gesundheit, ein anderes Thema ist aber das Genießen von Tee. Ich trinke seit über zehn Jahren Tee und freue mich, daß ich ein sehr robustes Immunsystem habe und nur selten einen Schnupfen habe. Tee zu genießen, beinhaltet aber mehr als nur das Trinken heißer Flüssigkeit.

1. Die Umgebung - Wählen Sie einen ruhigen und friedlichen Ort. Ein übersichtlicher Raum befreit den Geist. Genießen Sie die Zeit für sich selbst.
2. Ihre Teeutensilien – wählen Sie einige Teetassen und eine Kanne. Hier gibt es keine harten und schnellen Regeln, wichtig ist nur, daß die Kombination stimmt und mit Ihnen harmonisiert.
3. Liebe – bereiten Sie Ihren Tee mit viel Liebe. Geben Sie dem Tee Ihre volle Aufmerksamkeit und genießen Sie ihn andächtig. Lassen Sie den Alltag weit hinter sich.

Article in English: Enjoying the finer things in life