Yesterday, I welcomed a couple who had chosen to celebrate her birthday with a small tea experience.
I prepared a bowl of matcha for each of them and served it together with a blue kingyokukan inspired by the place where the sea seems to meet the sky. I had hoped that its transparent blue colour would bring a little feeling of coolness on a summer day.
After watching me prepare the tea, they tried whisking matcha themselves. Making matcha can look simple, but it is a very different experience when you hold the chasen in your own hand, feel the movement and watch the fine foam slowly appear.
While we were talking, they became curious about koicha.
Koicha is thick tea, prepared with more matcha and much less water than usucha, the lighter tea that is more commonly served. Its texture and flavour are intense, and it offers a very different way of experiencing matcha.
Since they were interested, I prepared a bowl for them to taste together.
I always enjoy moments like this, when a guest’s curiosity naturally leads the experience in a new direction. Tea ceremony is not only about drinking a bowl of tea. It can also be a way to discover new flavours, ask questions and share a quiet moment with another person.
I hope they enjoyed their little journey from usucha to koicha, and that the afternoon became a happy memory of her birthday.
Once again, happy birthday. I wish you happiness, good health and many beautiful moments in the year ahead.
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