We, Japanese usually take a bath at night. On these cold days, I often feel like having
a cup of hot green tea after the bath.
Just one cup. Cooling water when
preparing or cleaning the teapot after use are not a big deal usually, but at
this relaxing time, I find them troublesome just for one cup.
I don’t want to go through the proper steps
for preparing, but I want to drink tea.
I know this is something not to be proud of … but I found out other alternative!!
I just put a few tea leaves directly into a
glass and add boiling water. That’s
it. The amount of leaves is only one third
of regular recipe. If you gently take
sips from the surface, you won’t get much leaves coming into your mouth. The taste is not perfect but it’s still fine. Of course at the end, when you drink the
bottom part, the tea gets stronger and a few leaves might slip into your mouth. But, it’s okay and I’m happy as far as I can
have a cup of tea after bath.
I think I should be ashamed of myself as a qualified
Japanese Tea Adviser to have tea with this barbaric preparation. I know you may want to advice me to use a tea
strainer if I don’t want to wash the teapot.
But, I don’t even want to wash the strainer either. I’m genius on thinking excuses, hahaha.
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Haha. Lots of english language tea blogs refer to that as brewing tea "grandpa style."
ReplyDeleteReally!? It’s interesting to learn. I think we don’t have the term in Japanese to describe this kind of tea preparation. But, there is one in English. I guess that in English speaking countries there are many lazy men as I am. Hahaha.
DeleteI think it is a common way to prepare casual tea in China and Taiwan also.
DeleteAlways better to have tea than not to, however it's prepared! I sometimes use a "tea ball", a little strainer made to hang on the side of a mug or cup. At work I have a self-straining tea glass from Ingenuitea—add leaves and water, let steep, and then strain it directly into a mug. So easy! (In fact, though, I never mind a few leaves at the end of a good cup of tea.) Here in Philadelphia we had Hatsugama today, so tea is on everyone's mind....
ReplyDeleteI googled the images of Ingenuitea. That looks very convenient!
DeleteYesterday, I attended the hatsugama at my tea school, too. I always enjoy the special atmosphere of it!
Kohei, my coworkers form Taiwan drank theirs like that. Lots of leaves and keep on adding water during the day.
ReplyDeleteBut since you are not in Taiwan and admitted of breaking the Japanese Tea Laws - be afraid... The Tea Mafia might be after you :-)
Shame, shame...:-)
Very well, I don't blame you. I’ll bow down to the Mafia. But please do not tell my mom. I’ll get a spanking. hahaha
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ReplyDeleteI laugh now because that is how I make tea for myself at work. In a restaurant, we do not have time for preparing tea even with a teapot for ourselves, so I shave fresh ginger and put it in with sencha in a big cup, then pour boiling water over it. Then, just refill the water until it is too weak. Sometimes I do this at home, but only with sencha or bancha. With genmaicha, I at least use the strainer!
ReplyDeleteI realized with everyone’s comments that this way of drinking tea seems quite common in other countries. I wonder if it is only Japanese who didn’t know about it.
DeleteSencha with ginger!? Very interesting. Do you add sugar in it? You are still sophisticated than me because you have the time to shave your ginger. Haha^^
I am not sure we are sophisticated, only practical! Because I work in a "Japanese" restaurant run by Chinese workers, we always have ginger out on the chef's work table. So, it's very quick to shave some off as we walk by for tea. No sugar. I like bitter things! We have to talk all day, to customers, to the boss, to the chef, to everyone. Hot tea and ginger will keep us from getting sore throats. Really, it is a lazy way to make tea... but I think when we are working, we are too busy to pay attention to flavour.
DeleteBut if it is a slow day, I might bring in a little strawberry champagne tea. Then I feel a little better.
Oh, you work at “Japanese” restaurant! I see, maybe that’s why you can have sencha at work. You seem quite busy there. I understand that the ginger will be good for your throat. Strawberry champagne tea sounds nice!
DeleteDrinking tea in a simple glass is very popular in China for the every day green (sometimes wulong) tea... It's also the way to prepare high quality chinese green teas, because in that way, you can admire the beauty of the buds and leaves.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried this method with japanese teas, but why not ?
I wonder what the leaves of the everyday green tea in China look like and if it includes small pieces like Japanese sencha. If the leaves are large, it will be less likely to get the tea leaves into your mouth and suitable for drinking with this method, I guess.
DeleteChinese tea has whole leaves, unlike broken sencha.
DeleteYou should read this article about Chinese "grandpa style" :
Deletehttp://www.marshaln.com/whats-grandpa-style/
Thank you, Sam-san! I'll check out the site.
DeleteIf you use a stainless steel strainer, you don't have to wash it right away, it can wait till tomorrow :-)
ReplyDeleteAha! I should let myself go and be lazier, hahaha.
DeleteFor such situations a gaiwan is a really good thing!
ReplyDeleteIt might not be the japanese way but still a stylish option and even an additional cup isn't necessary ;D
You are right. Gaiwan can be the option!!
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