Don’t scare the tea!

I went with Mum to a tea tasting event at The Pantechnicon – one of our favourite places to go in Belgravia.

The tea tasting session began with a small cup of cherry blossom tea. Wonder if this is what happens when they sit under the cherry blossom tree and catch the petals as they float.

Soon tea expert, Ausra Burg from My Cup of Tea began her talk about the range of Japanese teas that was on the long table.

They had seven different types of teas to taste …

All served in beautiful porcelain or glass pots. They are the preferred pot ware as they trap less heat, making them more suitable for the higher grade green teas.

Each tea was paired with something sweet …

And the participants had a chance to smell the tea leaves and had sips of each tea.

While I waited patiently …

All I got was a teeny small piece of the rice cake. And I crunched it rather loudly! LOL!

There were two main things Mum got out of this session. You know the lovely black iron cast teapot that she thought was so elegant …

Well, that is a pot that the Chinese use for hot water!!!! The iron cast keeps the water very hot which is not ideal for serving tea. The best way to serve and drink tea is with a Houhin teapot, a small minimalistic teapot with no handle. And the tea is to be sipped from small cups that do not have handles.

The Japanese tea cups are usually small – for appreciating modest quantities of delicate teas.

And never add piping hot water to a pot, and don’t pour the water straight onto the tea, but around it. Don’t scare the tea leaves!

May’s comment: I love a cup of tea. Drinking tea is often a quiet, in-the-moment time. With Japanese tea, it is always ceremonious even when at home and alone. So when I came across a Tea Tasting event at the Pantechnicon, I couldn’t wait to sign up.

Ausra Burg from My Cup of Tea ceremoniously took us through the tasting of seven speciality Japanese teas …

From the most classic of Japanese teas Sencha to Genmaicha (roasted brown rice with matcha), to the most expensive of teas, the Gyokuro – a study in subtlety.

There was also Oolong – that’s a tea of Chinese origin.

And Hojicha, a comforting delicious brew from stalks rather than leaves.

Kyobancha as in in Kyoto and bancha very leafy tea with a smoky aroma.  And Uji black tea, which had recently become popular again in Japan.

I hadn’t expected every single one of them to smelled and tasted so different.

Every cup of tea served with expertly sourced organic ingredients and accompanied with beautifully crafted sweet by Okashimaru, a Japanese confectioner which considers sweet making to be a form of art.

My Cup of Tea was launched in 2008 after founder Ausra Burg, who has a background in herbalism and herbal blending, started making her own tea and tisane blends using quality herbs, botanicals and essential oils in unusual combinations. You can find out more about the teas here.

Ausra recently launched her first book ‘Tea Stories: Japan’, an exploration of Japanese tea culture. 

There are a series of workshops and Masterclasses that take place at The Pantechnicon on Motcomb Street. To find out about their events, you can join the community by signing up on their website.