Japanese Tea Ceremony

The Japanese tea ceremony (cha-no-yu, chado, or sado) is a traditional ritual influenced by Zen Buddhism in which powdered green tea, or matcha (抹茶), is ceremonially prepared by a skilled practitioner and served to a small group of guests in a tranquil setting.

Cha-no-yu (茶の湯, literally "hot water for tea"), usually refers to a single ceremony or ritual, while sado or chado (茶道, or "the way of tea") refer to the study or doctrine of tea ceremony. Since a tea practitioner must be familiar with the production and types of tea, with kimono, calligraphy, flower arranging, ceramics, incense and a wide range of other disciplines and traditional arts in addition to his or her school's tea practices, the study of tea ceremony takes many years and often lasts a lifetime. Even to participate as a guest in a formal tea ceremony requires knowledge of sado, including the prescribed gestures and phrases expected of guests, and the proper way to take tea and sweets, and general deportment in the tea room.

There are 8 varieties of Japanese tea. The most common are 6 classes:

Sen-cha (cha - tea in Japanese): the most typical type of Japanese green tea, covering 85% of the total. Collect only the pulp of tea leaves. The collection usually takes place in early summer. There is also an elite variety of the same Sep-cha, collected earlier, in which taste more tender, sweeter and less bitter. And he and the other tea after the steam treatment kneaded and dried. The more green tea, so it is better. Sen-cha must not contain a single stem. Only leaves, rolled in a thin tube. What they are smaller, so the quality is worse. They can be long, but should not be chopped.

Ban-cha is cooked the same recipe as the Saint-cha, but from the stems.

Hozhi-cha it roasted until its brown Sep-cha-cha or ban. It has a very strong aroma.

Genmay-cha - a mixture of hozhi-cha-cha or Sen-tha with rice, prepared under high pressure, and other aromatic grains. The peculiar flavor of roasted grains refreshing view of the tea. Its low content of the tea can use at any time for people of any age.

Gyokuro-cha - is the most expensive and high-quality tea. It is grown under special shelf-formed bars, to avoid a direct hit by the sun. After thermal treatment it is also mauled and dried, but among Gyokuro tea is handcrafted, which means that he myat human hands. This tea is drunk from small cups, because of its rich taste.

Mat-cha - as Gyokuro is made in the penumbra, but without rumping and ground with a powder. This type of tea used for tea ceremony.