Tea came to Japan from
China. It was first served in the Buddhist temples to
monks, priests, and the ruling class who attended special
services. These temple tea practices were gradually adapted to
incorporate aspects of Japanese culture as they were passed on
for several hundred years. Eventually these ceremonies were
codified by the priest Sen Rikyu in the mid 1500s. Today he is
regarded as the founder of the Japanese Tea Ceremony
and three of its schools.
In cultured circles drinking tea became recognized and valued as
a way to transcend the mundane without participating in the
vulgarity of wine’s drunkenness. Tea was also valued for its
health benefits as early as the 1100’s. The luxury of tea
eventually became regarded as a necessity in Japanese daily
life.
The Japanese drink a wide variety of green teas. Color and
delicacy of taste are important, and brews of fine fragrance and
greenish–golden hues are prevalent. Matcha is
the powdered tea used in the Japanese
tea ceremony. In decreasing order of quality, we find
Gyokuro, Sencha and Bancha, for everyday use. Japanese
Tea