Leaf and Temple

A reference for Japanese tea — the leaf, the implements, the way, and the aesthetics that hold them together.

The six paths

Six ways into the subject, each its own small library. Start anywhere — 39 pieces and counting.

  1. The Leaf The teas themselves — matcha, gyokuro, sencha — and how to brew them. 9 pieces
  2. The Implements The bowl, the whisk, the scoop — the objects of tea and how to read them. 7 pieces
  3. The Way Chadō — its history, its people, and the principles that order a gathering. 7 pieces
  4. The Aesthetic Wabi-sabi, the tea room, the garden — the ideas of beauty tea is built on. 6 pieces
  5. The Practice Tea as something you do — a daily bowl, a gathering, a year of seasons. 8 pieces
  6. Zen Writing Bokuseki and the hanging scroll — the brushed Zen words that set a gathering's tone. 2 pieces

Where to begin

If you read only a handful, read these — one clear way in from each path.

01 Vivid green matcha powder heaped on a spoon Ceremonial vs. Culinary Matcha: The Real Difference No legal standard defines 'ceremonial' or 'culinary' matcha. Here is what differs — shade, harvest, milling — and how to read a tin yourself. The Leaf 02 A bamboo whisk standing beside a small tea caddy How to Whisk Matcha Properly (The W/M Technique) Most bad matcha at home is a whisking problem, not a matcha problem. Sift, use cooler water, and whisk briskly in a W from the wrist. The Practice 03 A dark bowl mended with gold, seams radiating across the glaze Kintsugi 金継ぎ: The Art of Golden Repair Kintsugi mends broken pottery with urushi lacquer and gold — a months-long lacquer craft, not an epoxy kit. What it really is, and why tea prized it. The Aesthetic 04 A tenmoku tea bowl glazed a lustrous brown-black The Chawan: How to Read, Choose & Hold One How to read a Japanese tea bowl — its shape, foot, and front — and how to choose a first chawan and hold it without a beginner's fumble. The Implements

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