Nov

24

Koto Music

November 24, 2009 | 4 Comments

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image: Keiko Yurimoto, early 1950s from Ohmi Gallery

Sometimes I just need to hear some Japanese classical music. Maybe I’m having sencha, the sunlight and time of day is just right. I put on Koto music and am instantly transported to a temple or tearoom half a world away. At the end of the music and tea I am always refreshed and ready for the next part of my day. Here is a nice piece accompanied by an in-depth description taken from the liner notes. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for checking in!

- James

Nov

20

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This week’s featured tea (10% off all week): Orange Spice Organic FTC

This fair trade certified, organic, scented tea is a well-balanced blend of organic Indian and Sri Lanka broken leaf tea, organic cinnamon, organic cloves, organic orange peel, and organic orange extract and oils. Not too heavy on the cinnamon, it’s comfortable and cozy, just like fall. A perfect holiday tea!

Stop in today and share a cup of tea with us this afternoon. Thanks for checking in.

- James

Nov

18

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photo: Drift Surfing

Two of my favorite things together in one entertaining article. We mentioned the Tea Appreciation Society in a previous post, but that was before I knew about the surfing connection. It is always so nice to hear of others bridging varied passions into a collective life approach. Tea, surfing, music, design—they flow into each other seamlessly. Check out the article, which begins below. Drift Surfing is a great UK surf publication that I receive regularly online. I highly recommend subscribing. Enjoy!

Shayne House lives next to a field, not far from the rolling surf of north Cornwall. He is co-founder of the Tea Appreciation Society, formed in 2007 by a small group of creative friends. When he’s not surfing or playing a variety of musical instruments, he’s peddling tea and philosophy. More…

- James

Nov

13

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This week’s featured tea (10% off all week): Matcha Genmaicha

Matcha Genmaicha is a wonderfully deep-green version of the popular everyday Japanese green tea. Coarse-leaved Bancha is blended with toasted rice and then dusted with matcha for a lightly sweet, toasted-nut flavor. It’s full-bodied in the cup and able to be prepared with hotter water than most green teas. I love it with chocolate, so we’ll be sure to have some samples to taste with the tea.

We look forward to seeing you! Thanks for checking in.

- James

Nov

12

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Jaime and Donna are two of our favorite people, and not just because they brought some AMAZING cookies to 4 o’clock Friday a couple of weeks back. I mean, those gems were fresh out of the oven and brought directly to the shop to share with their fellow tea lovers. Thanks, guys! Hope you’re enjoying Paris to the fullest! Check out Jaime’s daily photo blog here.

Hope all is well with all of you. Thanks very much for checking in!

- James

Nov

9

Regulars No. 2

November 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment

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Name: Mike Schumacher
What do you do? Software Librarian and Developer at Symitar

Why tea?
What I find exciting about tea is that the different varieties and
types allow for a lot of exploration in flavors and aromas. Tea is
very approachable in this respect, as I’ve seen people who rarely
drink tea find a couple types they really like. It’s similar to wine
varietals, except there isn’t alcohol involved.

How did you get into it?
Every summer in my childhood was marked by the availability of my
mother’s sweetened iced tea. I started drinking herbal teas once I
was in college to assist in falling asleep. I’d pick up a few boxes
of various teas for work as a change of pace. Just a few months ago I
found a couple of dedicated tea shops where I’ve travelled and tried
out a few kinds of tea. It wasn’t until I was getting jittery and
anxious after a cup of decaf coffee recently that I made a switch to
full-time tea drinking, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since.

Which teas you have been into lately?
Kenya Supreme is my first cup in the morning, and I really enjoy the
Dragon Pearl Jasmine Superior. However, I cannot seem to get enough
Tung Ting these days. It’s the only tea where I’ve been upset when I
ran out of it!

Do you have a perfect tea scenario?
There isn’t anything better than a cup of warm tea on a cool morning
while watching the sun rise and the earth wake up.

Thanks for making my tea transformation possible.
_______________________________

Thank YOU, Mike! And, thanks to all of you for checking in.

- James

Nov

6

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This week’s featured tea (10% off all week): Organic Snow Buds

This Fujian White Tea is hand-picked in northern Fujian during early spring. Fresh down-covered buds and tender new leaves combine for a subtly sweet infusion with a toasted nut undertone and clean apricot finish that lingers pleasantly in the mouth.

We have had a wonderful group of people on Fridays. Come join us for tea! We look forward to seeing you.

- James

Nov

4

Tea 101 is Full!

November 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Hey everyone, thanks very much for your continued interest in our Tea 101 session. This Saturday’s class is full, but we will schedule another soon and have the date available early next week.

We look forward to seeing this session’s participants on Saturday! Just so you know, participants receive a 10% discount off their entire purchase after the session. If you’re looking for early gifts, or simply something for yourself, that may be a good night for it.

See you soon!

- James

Nov

1

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Our next Tea 101 is coming up quickly! It is this Saturday, November 7th, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.

If you are fairly new to tea or simply want to hone your knowledge of this ever-fascinating pursuit, the Tea 101 class is the place to start. This introductory talk will cover the basic tea classifications and discuss the important factors of history, origin and processing methods. We will also provide an overview of tea preparation guidelines and basic teaware knowledge. We will taste several teas as a means to help illustrate the curriculum while also furthering our appreciation of the world’s most consumed prepared beverage.

Sessions are limited to 10 participants (sorry, this session is full!). The course fee is $12 per person and payment guarantees your reservation for the session. To RSVP please call 619 450 4224 or stop by the store. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. We hope to see you there!

Tea 101 at Halcyon Tea
Saturday, November 7th

7:00–8:30 pm
$12 per person

Thank you all for the continued support!
- James