Japanese green tea junk mail?

Japanese green tea junk mail?

Thank you very much. We were delighted to receive the numerous ice-tea recipes that you sent us after the last Venalicia magazine. One of the most interesting with green tea came from Noriko Gen in Japan. That is the reason why we would like to take you into the “Kingdom of the Rising Sun” today.
Whenever I step into Fujiko’s office I an overcome by a feeling of peace and calm. Fujiko Kinugawa, our Japanese Marketing Manageress, was a long-term pupil of a well known Tea Master in Kyoto. The principals of the “Chado Path of Teas” are still noticeable in Fujiko’s charisma, work and lifestyle even here in Europe.
So what is “Chado”? Where does the strength and secret of this philosophy lie? That is why I asked Fujiko to give us a small insight into this fascinating foreign world:
“In the beginning was the search for perfection. In Japan this path always led to the west – into the “Central Kingdom”. From their study trips in the 6th century, Japanese monks brought a wonderful herbal remedy – thea sinesis. At that time tea was prepared as a soup. The cultivation of tea bushes in Japan however began only after 840. So, this is how tea made its entry into Japan. However the actual breakthrough happened 400 years later. This time it was Buddhist monks seeking enlightenment who, on their return from China, brought a wonderful green powder with them which stimulated concentration for study and meditation: Matcha – pulverised green tea.
The preparation of Matcha Tea became an aesthetic procedure that deeply influenced the life and thinking of the Japanese. In the 16th century the most important tea master, Sen Rikyu, elevated “Chado – the path of tea” to a work of art.”
But more on this subject in our next Venalicia Magazine. For now you can get a small insight into the unique varieties of Japanese teas at http://www.venalicia.com/?nl7
Since Fujiko moved in we have been enjoying our tea-time a little more intensively and taking our strength for the day from this – how about you?