Friday Knows Tea

In the springtime I am inexorably drawn to steamed green teas. Genmaicha, matcha, sencha, bi lo chun, clouds & mist, and so on. If it's vegetal, mildly seaweedy and light-savory with a lingering umami profile, count me in! Just the other day, a friend mentioned the idea of matcha cheesecake in passing. I don't even remember the context, just that the idea seeded itself like the marigold and snap peas in my garden and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Anyone who knows me personally knows that compulsive baking is a long-running thing in my house. When I was a tween, my mother put a time limit on the kitchen (I was banned from 10pm to 8am) because the smell of fresh cookies, muffins and breads kept waking her up in the middle of the night. She was not amused. Especially in times of uncertainty and anxiety, I turn to the oven. I've done a lot of baking this week. It's been fun to flex my sleepy chef muscles and get creative in the kitchen again! Now, as I lo...

Yoshiaki Hattori stands with his tea plants under a solar shade screen Meet Yoshiaki Hattori, sustainable tea visionary and crafter of some of the finest matcha we've ever tasted. The Hattori facility (Tenryu Agri-Farms) resides in Shizuoka, Japan, a region probably best known for its beautiful scenery, delicious food and huge trade in green tea. In fact, this prefecture grows 40% of the green tea in Japan! Even among smaller, more eco-friendly farms, Mr. Hattori takes an unusual approach to growing and processing. He strives to combine contemporary sustainability practices with very old-fashioned processing styles to bring the best of quality to the matcha market while minimizing his carbon footprint. In the world of Japanese green teas, it's common to cover the plants for the last few weeks of their growth cycle in order to encourage the final growth spurt to be sweet and complex, rather than tannic and dry. This is how matchas and senchas are given the smooth and t...

Here in Seattle, we just hit full-on summer. June-uary is over and we are facing days hovering around 80°F for the next few months. Seattlites are renowned whiners when it comes to weather over 70° (Don't make that face, Lauren. You know it's true.), so we've got you covered with some fantastic summer bevvie ideas. #1: Shaken Iced Tea Really want to elevate your iced tea game? It's as simple as playing Cocktail and shaking that sucker up. Brew a strong pot of your favorite white, green or black tea (or tisane, if caffeine isn't your game) and throw a hefty pour into a cocktail shaker with a handful of those yummy berries you scored at the farmer's market and a handful of ice. Shake it up for a solid 30 seconds, then pour into your favorite iced tea glass. A whole new level to the simple classic iced tea. #2: Tea-Infused Sangria My personal favorite part of hot weather season: an excuse to drink sangria! Next time you make a batch at home, try infusing your...