What is Soba Tea (Buckwheat Tea)?
Have You Heard of “SOBA”? Soba is a plant from the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae, genus Fagopyrum). The seeds from this plant are ground into flour and used to make soba...
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Artisanal Japanese Tea
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Explore Japanese Teas
Women in Tea
In tea and other very traditional Japanese industries you rarely see women in leading roles. But they do exist and this collection is meant to highlight those women who are challenging the status quo.
As a criteria for inclusion, we feature products from producers where women take a visible role of leadership becoming role models for other women in this male dominated society.
Like Ayumi Kinezuka pictured here, they are farmers and CEOS, processing experts and business owners.
Our Staff Selections
Our personal favorites. Selected for you.
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Black Tea, Oolong Tea, Dark Tea
Japanese tea farms and factories have been crafting more and more non-green teas.
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Gourmet Japanese Ingredients
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Lifestyle
All About Japanese Tea Culture
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Tokushima Prefecture’s Awa Bancha featured in NHK documentary
Starting at 17:25, the documentary shares the process of making Awa Bancha in Tokushima Prefecture, a type of fermented folk tea made in certain Kamikatsu and Aioi Villages in the region....
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Discover: Teas of Tokushima Prefecture
Tokushima is a prefecture of Japan that is located on the island of Shikoku. When one thinks of Japanese tea, Tokushima is probably not the prefecture that comes to mind....
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World O-CHA Festival in Shizuoka 世界お茶まつり
by Katrina Wild June 4, 2024 Every three years, Shizuoka Prefecture hosts the World O-CHA Festival, a celebration of tea's rich history, innovation, and diversity. The latest event in...
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Kabusecha tea, the semi-shaded tea
As the name suggests in Japanese, “kabusecha” which means covered tea is grown by covering the tea leaves with a cloth called kanreisha before they are harvested. This shade growing...
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Granny Kancha and the last Shishikui kancha harvest
On February 3-4, we visited Akemi Ishimoto, an 87 year old kancha tea farmer who is located in the Southernmost tip of Tokushima Prefecture. You can learn about the kancha...
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How Shishikui kancha is made
Shishikuicho city, is in the southernmost district of Tokushima Prefecture, called Kaiyo. As its name Kaiyo (in Japanese: 海陽) suggests in Japanese, it is a "sea town" that is famous for its sea....
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The Day of Matcha and Nishio Tea
As some of you may have been aware, February 6th marked the day of matcha in Japan. In a previous blogpost on Yunomi, we touched on some of the tea...
Eat, Drink, Cook - Japanese Food & Recipes
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Matchatella - Nutella-inspired Matcha Spread Cream
If you're a matcha lover looking for a simple yet flavorful homemade spread, this matcha cream is sure to become your new favorite. Inspired by Nutella, the popular chocolate-hazelnut spread...
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Introducing “Dewdrop” – A Magical Japanese Kanten Jelly Kit for Summer
We’re excited to launch our newest creation: Dewdrop – Japanese Kanten Jelly Kit — a hands-on culinary experience that transforms traditional ingredients into shimmering, jewel-like treats. Inspired by the soft...
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What is Kanten (Japanese Agar)?
What is Kanten? Kanten(寒天) is a natural gelling agent made from red algae, particularly species such as tengusa and ogonori. It has been widely used in traditional Japanese sweets (wagashi)...
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Green tea Cookie Recipe (Gluten-free)
In a previous article, we introduced a recipe with shincha ,first flush green tea: rice balls made with tea leaves after brewing. Onigiri rice ball recipe Now, here’s...
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Onigiri Rice Ball with Shincha (Green tea) Recipe
The shincha season has started. In the western part of Kanagawa Prefecture, where I live, tea picking takes place from late April through May. This marks the beginning of the...
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RECIPES Beachside Breakfast
Beachside BreakfastHojichai Recipe Gallery Iced Hojichai Mix 3–4g (1 tablespoon) of Hojichai powder and sugar to taste in hot water (1–4 tbsp), then mix with ice and cold milk....
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A Spring Garnish Made from Salt-pickled Sakura Blossom
Pink color is said to have a calming effect and makes you feel relaxed and happy. Flowers can also help to increase your feelings of happiness. What comes to mind...
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What is Sakura cha (Cherry Blossom Tea)?
Sakura season (cherry blossom season) is coming. People look forward to the start of the blooming, which is forecast for the end of March in the Tokyo area this year,...
Professional's Guide to Japanese Tea
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What do the terms “mukashi” and “shiro” mean in the names of matcha products from traditional brands?
The Art of Matcha Naming in the Centuries Old Matcha Industry: Unraveling the terms “Shiro” 白 and “Mukashi” 昔 In the world of traditional Japanese matcha, the terms Shiro and...
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Fukamushi sencha and how it differs from a regular sencha
As its name implies in Japanese, fukamushi sencha is deep steamed tea. “Fukai” (Japanese: 深い) means deep and “mushi” (蒸し) means steamed. This is exactly how fukamushi sencha is processed,...
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Looking for a matcha whisk? Here are some tips
Matcha is becoming known globally, with its attractive lush green color and health benifits. In Japan, the traditional tea ceremony, chado, was initiated in the early 12th century as a...
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77th National Tea Competition in Japan
Here is a little bit of tea news from the homefront (Japan). Just last month, from the 22nd to the 25th of August, the 77th National Tea Festival represented by...
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Tea Picking Experience with Honey Fragrance Black Tea (蜜香紅茶)
Do you know there is black tea made from tea leaves eaten by insects? It is called Mikko-kocha (蜜香紅茶), literally means honey fragrance black tea. This special fragrance is created by...
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Ice steeping, the secret to making your Japanese tea more umami-full
We’re in the midst of the monsoon season in Japan, the rainy and muggy days continue... After the rains, come the hot humid summer days. And if you are familiar...
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Exploring the Color of Tea
This blogpost was written by guest writer Jimmy Burridge, PhD in Plant Science and tea aficionado. Photos are also from Jimmy. Enjoy! Introduction The color of a tea infusion strongly influences our...
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Japanese Tea Harvesting Methods
The 2023 Shincha season is here! Many tea farms will be starting, or have already started their very first tea harvest for the new season. We say very first because...
