I ran through my all the teas that I keep at my desk yesterday, except for this packet of matcha, a finely ground green tea from Japan. I had been putting off drinking it because the preparation is different from the teas that I normally prepare. I thought it would be difficult to get a good infusion because proper matcha preparation is at the heart of the elaborate Japanese Tea Ceremony. After poking around a little on the web, however, I found that like most tea you drink it as you like. The only hard and fast rule being that you not use boiling water in the preparation of matcha.

I put teaspoon or so of the fine powdered tea into the cup and wisked it up with a spoon (I did not have a regulation bamboo whisk with me). I am still playing around with the concentration of matcha to water. If you never have had tried this drink it is surprisingly thick and frothy because the tea powder is suspended in the cup.

This past weekend I had some 2nd Flush Darjeeling, I cannot remember the estate right now, but the leaves came from SerendipiTea. We had a pot after breakfast and it was a bit weak, even after steeping for four minutes. The aroma from the pot and the leaves were very nice full muscatel, but out of the cup it was very thin.

In the interest of full disclosure, Darjeeling is not my favorite, but this one seemed weaker than most. I’ll try it again but it probably needs to be steeped upwards of five minutes to get the full flavor as the seller’s site suggests. Better luck next time I guess.

Cat’s been sick this past week so she’s been brewing lots of chamomile mint  to keep her going.  It doesn’t make her more fun to be around, but it helps her relax a little more and smell better too.  I picked up this blend from Portland’s very own Tea Chai Te on  the uber hip NW 23rd.

Cameron (the brother-in-law and tenant in common) says it is sweet without sugar or splenda (Cameron’s got a real sweet tooth).

Thanks to my fading cold, I don’t have the overwhelming need to constantly drink a hot watery liquid. And on the upside, I can now taste my tea again. This morning, I trying out a new organic Earl Grey. It’s from a mystery distributer, but it smells lovely.

Sadly, it’s just doesn’t taste that good.  While I’ve been having mixed luck with my tastebuds and Earl Grey tea, this one is a bit harsh in a more absolute sense.  Organic teas seem to be harsh in my limited experience.  But, boy does that bergamot smell good!

What’s in your cup? I started the day off with pot of Keemun Hao Ya from the folks at Rishi.  Most of their description is apt, but did not get the smoky taste they note.  Overall a robust cup to start the day and do the people’s work.

Special thanks today to  Cat, my loving wife, who has created this space for you and me to talk tea.