Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Matcha in the Park

Last week I had the wonderful chance to visit with friends (from near and far) in a beautiful park.  I also got to use my nodate picnic set - it's a little basket with a small tea bowl and a diminutive whisk and scoop.  This style of Japanese tea "ceremony" is informal and flexible, perfect for a day in the park.  It was my pleasure to make bowls of matcha for the guests.  My laughter above shows the spirit of the day (and notice the wedding in the background!).

Not pictured is our friend Ms. M, the photographer.

I love this tiny little whisk and scoop set!  The scoop folds up and fits into the bottom of the whisk.

Just a hint of the frothy green matcha.

When drinking matcha, it's a good idea to have a little sweet just prior to drinking.  The sweet lingers in your mouth and blends with the bitter flavor of the matcha.  We shared sweetened rice crackers and sesame mochi (soft, chewy rice flour cakes with sesame paste filling).

It was a great afternoon and I was honored to make tea for my friends!

10 comments:

Marilyn Miller said...

It looks like a beautiful day of tea. How very special and you looked beautiful.

South Bay Ladies' Tea Guild said...

That looks like a lot of fun. I love your matcha set! I haven't had the courage to make matcha yet; maybe I need to meet with some friends in the park and have a casual picnic like yours.

Amy said...

You look so happy and smiley and pretty.

Angela McRae said...

Your laughter made me smile! (And your hair made me jealous. I'm trying to grow out layers and yours is JUST the look I'm trying to attain ... if I can avoid a return trip to the stylist!)

La Tea Dah said...

A perfect afternoon! You radiate joy!

Lisa said...

Love the joy you share! :)

Gonzo Crawler said...

Where did you pick up such a cool little set?

Rosemary said...

This looks like such fun! Love the miniature whisk and scoop! And thanks for pointing out the wedding... there was a lot going on in the park that day!

Ginger said...

That first picture is excellent!

jeff said...

Wow you guys look so happy. Must admit I have never tried tea like that in the park but after that smile I might have to reconsider it.