Especially for London Craft Week 2019, join experts from Ippodo Tea in The Shop at Japan House to learn more about Japanese green tea. Four teas from Ippodo Tea Co. will be available for tastings (Only Matcha on Friday):
- Sencha - A harmonious blend of sweetness, bitterness, richness, astringency and fragrance. Sencha is the most popular type of green tea in Japan.
- Gyokuro – Being a shade-cultivated tea, gyokuro is rich in theanine-an amino acid responsible for gyokuro's full-bodied mellow sweetness and slightly viscous nature. In Japan, there is a special name for this taste: umami.
- Genmaicha – this tea is a mixture of yanagi (a coarse-leaf version of sencha) and roasted, puffed genmai (a variety of brown rice). The result is a unique savoury flavour and a strong popcorn-like aroma.
- Hojicha - This roasted green tea is actually dark amber in colour. It has an amazingly rich aroma and a distinct savoury flavour. It is rich but light-bodied, without much astringency and low in caffeine.

Learn to Whisk Matcha Tea
Matcha is made by grinding green tea leaves into a fine powder on a stone mill. Come along to experience preparing matcha in the authentic way by whisking the tea powder in a tea bowl with a chasen (bamboo whisk). Matcha tea making experience is available on a drop-in; first-come, first-served basis. The activity will take place at The Stand in The Shop.

About the Maker:

IPPODO Tea Co.
Located in the heart of Kyoto, Ippodo Tea Co. has been providing the highest quality Japanese green tea for nearly 300 years. More than just a retailer, Ippodo is a multi-faceted tea company directly involved in the procurement and blending of carefully selected tea leaves. Ippodo teas are of the finest class, cultivated in the lush fields of Kyoto and the surrounding area. This region is renowned for producing the high grade green tea, thanks largely to its mild misty climate, mineral-rich soil and near-perfect balance of sunshine and rainfall.

For more information visit IPPODO Tea Co. website.