Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Sencha Tea Set


Hand-painted with motif of people making tea

This tea set has a story.  My friend J, knowing I've been studying Japanese Tea, sent me the eBay link.  It was a great deal, but I  was away on business travel and didn't have the mindspace to consider this.  It sat for two weeks, I didn't make an offer, and J bought it!  ;-)

FYI - The little pitcher vessel in front (above) is used to cool the water before brewing.
The complete set

J pulled it out at a recent tea gathering. Turns out the seller had been in our own back yard!  I loved the set, of course, and was regretting that I had let it slip, but happy that it came to a friend.  That friend kindly offered for me to buy the set...and so now it's mine.  (And she can use it any time she wishes!)   
Lovely sencha

I also had the chance to sample some delicious sencha teas with another tea friend.  Thank you!  Look at the gorgeous green.  See the sediment in the bottom?  That's desirable.  Japanese tea makers add back in particulate matter.  In this style of tea, it augments the flavor, look and body of the tea and wastes nothing.

10 comments:

Rosemary said...

Lovely set! Thanks for the info about the sediment - did not realize that!

La Tea Dah said...

Absolutely delightful! Both the tea set and the tea!

La Tea Dah said...

Stephanie, the barley tea was a gift from my friend, Toshiko. On one of her visits from Japan, she brought me a large bag of barley tea. It's very good --- and she says it is something that she commonly drinks in Japan. She also brought me the most useful and unusual pair of "snips" that I use to clip embroidery threads. Every time I use them I am reminded of her.

The Teaist said...

Lovely tea set and nice to have something authentically Japanese. Have not yet had the pleasure of enjoying a proper Japanese Tea Ceremony... it's still on my to-do list!

All the best :)

Marilyn Miller said...

A lovely, beautiful tea set. How nice of "J." to sell it to you and find it.

relevanttealeaf said...

I'm so glad the tea set found its way to your home, Steph! It's very nice and will be put to loving use! Thanks for the info you shared too.

The Tea Enthusiast's Scrapbook said...

Hi Steph,

Great Friends + Lovely Teaware + Rich Tea = A Happy Camper!

It's amazing how tea brings so much joy into our lives.

Thanks for sharing.

Blessings,

Darlene

Siret said...

What a beautiful set, what a tempting tea and what a heartwarming story.
Thanks for sharing, Siret

Angela McRae said...

I've never heard that sediment is desirable before! I'm always trying to weed out every last bit. Must rethink that! And of course I *love* your new tea set. I'd say that was meant to be yours, and the story of its journey to you makes it all the more remarkable!

Mafalda said...

Steph what a beautiful tea set! So elegant and peculiar. I loved it!

Drinking tea is a passion for me and I’ve tried Sencha tea as well. I love its floral fragrance and sweetness.

Besides, it is quite healthy! I often drink it to boost my immune system and before working out as it is good to lose body fat.

Which brand did you use? And if have more please show us!

http://www.therighttea.com/sencha-tea.html