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"The nuances that linger within green tea can leave your palate with endless taste memories: from rich chestnut aromas, luscious floral flavors, buttery and brothy sips, clean and crisp grassiness that brightens the taste buds, to toasted notes that warm you to the core better than a favorite sweater."
Continue reading the rest of the piece on Table Matters.
As I try to heal after losing a dear friend, I have found great comfort in sipping tea from one of her teacups. I carefully carried her vintage jewel home, unsure if I would be able to sip from it so soon since the sight of it made me quickly recall memories and long for more. However, as I poured sencha up to the golden rim I felt connected to her. In some way the tiny teacup brought me great comfort. It's as if I can have tea with the memory of her in a matter of moments. No longer just a cup, this treasure will serve as a reminder and a way to honor her spirit. And again "seeking comfort in tea" is layered with new meaning.
I can still recall opening the tiny gold lock to my metal journal, resting the white cushion cover against my knobby knees under a floral bedspread as I scribbled childhood thoughts and poems. Those daily jots have been replaced by keyboards clicks and photos snapped throughout the day via my phone. While I feel grateful that I can document memories within a matter of seconds, I often fear they could disappear just as quickly with an accidental step on my clutch or even a tea spill that's simply too close to the laptop.
In hopes of preserving my teaspoons & petals memories, I've decided to take virtual files floating through chips and wires and transfer them to the printed page. The lovely Joy of Oh Joy opened my eyes to the creative ways of Artifact Uprising's Instagram Friendly Books printed on the most perfect 5.5 by 5.5 inch paper. AU is a true find and a reminder for us to pause and peer at our life on the page.
While my photos tend to skip about through life experiences, the common threads that runs through each snapshot are tea and flowers, which anchor teaspoons & petals. So, I sorted through steeps, tea leaves, petals, vintage cups and carefully chose favorites from 2012 that represented my year with the steeped leaf and the blossom, hence the the title: teaspoons & petals 2012. I intend to make a book every year to document my steeped journeys and maybe even an evolution of experiences, or even just tea taste preferences (will I ever give my heart to something other than a high mountain oolong? only time and more books will tell).
There's something so very magical about feeling the weight of a book in your hands, especially when the pages contain personal moments that call upon sensory memories. I've included a few shots of my favorite pages below. Maybe they'll find their way into the 2013 edition. I'll just have to wait and see what steeped snapshots this magical year has in store.
Toasted and popped brown rice mingles with grassy Japanese bancha tea in the well known genmaicha green tea blend. And for the sencha lovers, keep in mind that bancha is made from the second flush of sencha between summer and autumn months. There is something so wonderfully savory to this toasty and nutty steep that manages to warm me to the core in the most delicate way; like a a whisper thin sweater on a chilled spring day.
It begs to be paired with seafood bites, and you'll often find in the pot on your table in most Japanese restaurants. Try using the tea broth as a poaching liquid for fish. Or grind it in a fine powder for a rub. Or bake it into shortbread cookies for a nutty touch. And while we're on the subject of genmaicha infused bites, I must point you in the direction of Sara May's recipe for Vegan Pho with Green Tea Broth on her delightful blog, The Cozy Herbivore. It's on my ever growing to-make list. Even though her recipe calls for a genmai-matcha (a variation of genmaicha blended with matcha powder), you'll still achieve the nutty and vegetal tea essences but with a bit less grassy and vivid color that matcha carries with it.
Even though the past few weeks of glittering snow showers have brought a smile to my face, a wintry wonderland can only feel magical for a moment. Here's hoping that the grandiose groundhog was right in his spring prediction. Until mother nature decides to turn down the chill, I'm filling my world with petite pastel treats, fresh green steeps and perfuming the air in my humble abode with fragrant flowers (the lilac hyacinths seen below are sending my senses into a delightful spring tizzy).
Between sips of vegetal yet sweet Nishi Sencha (post to come soon), I'm skipping over to a favorite french bakery for their delicate bites of earl grey and rosewater macarons (left to right in the photo above) that capture the very essence of teaspoons and petals. Steeped and floral flavors aside, I swooned for their pastel colors that could inspire my entire wardrobe and kitchen decor. Until spring has sprung beyond the window, I'll continue to pretend otherwise with fresh finds in my kitchen and in my teacup.
Over the past five years, I've built quite a collection of tea tools that can be found filling drawers and lingering on the kitchen counter. In honor of this steeped obsession I thought that I would share a bit about these necessary objects in a new series, tea tools. First up, delightful paper pouches.
Whenever a newcomer enters the world of tea and isn't ready to commit to infusers and teaware, I always recommend Finum's disposable paper tea filters. These chlorine-free and biodegradable gems effortlessly infuse loose tea in a cup or pot (if you buy the large size). Unlike most traditional tea bags, the "expanding base of the filter provides the tea leaves enough room for their flavor to fully unfold." I often keep an extra box in my cabinet so that I can send friends home with a favorite tea tucked into the tiny paper pouch. And if you're a traveling fool, they are the perfect companion for steeping when on-the-road or on-the-go (or in my case, while on an airplane).
So, put away the tiny metal tea balls (that never leave room for the lovely tea leaves to dance about and paint the water with their complex flavors), and opt for a grand paper filter. It's an essential tool for every new tea lover's collection. What's your favorite tea tool? Skip over to twitter or instagram and share it with me.
I'm partial to antique gems with delicate hints of ladylike charm, which is why I created my collection of heirloom haiku handkerchiefs. Each heirloom haiku handkerchief is adorned with my original haiku that celebrates tea, the lady songbirds of jazz and the imaginative journey of alice in wonderland. I have screenprinted the haiku by hand with gold fabric ink onto delicate vintage handkerchiefs trimmed with patterns of the past. Frame the heirloom handkerchief or place it on table as a centerpiece for a steeped gathering. Each heirloom handkerchief is folded onto a vintage postcard (an extra keepsake or send to a dear friend).
Speaking of the collection, I would like to thank PureWow for featuring the heirloom haiku handkerchiefs this Friday in this "Running With Saucers" piece. And now there is only one handkerchief left (leaves like paintbrushes/are coloring the water/steep it, watch and breathe). Time to head back into the studio to screenprint more treasured handkerchiefs with tiny gold letters. But before I go, let me reiterate one of my favorite tea 101 tips that I happened to share with PureWow:
Steep tea with filtered or spring water: True teas often have delicate flavors that can only shine through in pure water. Considering that there is an art to tea, you'll want to start with a blank canvas to really appreciate the complexity of flavors within the leaves (especially if it's a subtle white tea or fresh green tea). If filtered or spring water isn't part of your routine, opt for teas with naturally stronger flavors (like breakfast black tea blends) that can stand up to water that is less than pure.
You can peek at the rest of my tips in the full PureWow piece. What are your go-to tea tips? Happy steeping!
