Must Haves - Takashimaya???s Matcha Tea Preparation Set
Hi everyone and welcome to A Nice Cuppa???s first installment of Must Haves! Every week, I will be searching online and off for the best coffee and tea accessories that you simply must have. Just think of me as your personal shopper for all things coffee and tea!
For my first recommendation, I put a lot of pressure on myself to find something exotic that most of us probably don???t have and might not have seen before. I was griping to a very good friend of mine who convinced me to go to Takashimaya, a beautiful Japanese department store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Her recommendation was spot on.
After nosing around for quite some time and trying the patience of its helpful staff, I zeroed in on a stunning bamboo tea preparation set used to make matcha during Japanese tea ceremonies. Matcha is a Japanese powdered tea which is derived from the same plants as black tea with the key difference being that powdered tealeaves are steamed and dried rather than fermented. Takashimaya???s matcha preparation set consists of a slender bamboo measuring spoon, or chashaka, a delicate bamboo whisk, or chasen, and a bamboo cylinder to safely store the chasen. The chasen is exquisitely made from only one piece of bamboo. These three utensils come stowed away in an adorable tea caddy sack.
In ancient Japan, and even today, the Japanese tea ceremony is sacred and can last for several hours. However, apart from the tea ceremony, matcha preparation is very simple. The only requirement is do not use boiling water. Take the chashaka and scoop, to your taste, some matcha into a wide teacup or bowl. Then add hot water and stir vigorously with the chasen. This will produce a lovely frothy tea which is generally thicker than the infused variety. After that, sit down, relax and enjoy your matcha!
*If you live in New York City, I recommend a visit to the tearoom in Takashimaya at 693 Fifth Avenue. Or call (212) 350-0100 for purchasing information.
*For those who don???t live in New York City, you can get a similar set online at InPursuitOfTea
Takashimaya’s tea room is one of my favorite places to bring out of towners for a nice relaxing break after running around manhattan for the day.
I’ve never bought any of their tea supplies, but if it is anything like their tea room service I’m sure it’s sleek and elegant.