Seven Cups cruises the canals of Nanxun

Seven Cup has posted some wonderful photos of their trip to the ancient city of Nanxun, China.



A house situated on the city's famous canal.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea, flowers, and scones

—Mellow Monk

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Clever and creative tea packaging

Coat hangers, origami, and cigarettes are not items one normally associates with tea, but they can be found in these clever ideas for tea packaging.


Still and all, this innovation may be the cleverest of all.



After brewing, you may feel pangs of conscience about throwing Mr. Birdie into the recycling bin.


—Mellow Monk

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5 years for O-CHA and a Cali tea field for Imperial

O-CHA Teahouse of Greenville, SC is celebrating its 5th anniversary, while in California, Roy Fong of Imperial Tea Court has just acquired a farm where he plans to grow tea.


Tea in California—I think that is wonderfully bold, and I wish Roy the best of luck.



And now for something completely different: Winter Wonderland in Japan, courtesy of Alfie Goodrich.


—Mellow Monk

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The spring tea forecast—looking good!

Our tea artisans in Aso report that the winter there was a typical one climate-wise, and the tea plants are emerging from their dorman period in excellent condition—healthy, vibrant, and ready to yield up their succulent leaves for us soon.



That's Nekodake in the background.


—Mellow Monk

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Tea across America: Springboro, OH and Park Ridge, IL

A Springboro, Ohio tea shop is targeting teens in addition to traditional tea aficionados.


Meanwhile, the proprietor of a Park Ridge, Illinois tea store is spreading the word by demonstrating tea's culinary versatility. For instance, she especially likes this Green Tea Panna Cotta recipe from Tonia George's Tea Cookbook:

Green Tea Panna Cotta

1 1/2 T Matcha powder

6 T whole milk

2 tsp. powdered gelatin

2 C heavy cream

1/3 C sugar

4 (5-oz.) teacups or small round cooking molds

Gradually mix the Matcha powder with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the milk in a small bowl until smooth.

Pour the remaining milk into a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin. Set aside for about 5 minutes, then place the bowl over a shallow saucepan of hot water and stir until dissolved. Let cool.

Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and heat over low heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and pour into a large glass measuring cup. Beat in the Matcha powder mixture, then the gelatin solution. Beat until fully blended. Pour the mixture into the teacups or cooking molds. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until set. The panna cotta should wobble but they shouldn't look as though they are liquid in the center.

If you have made the panna cotta in cooking molds, dip the bases briefly in boiling water, then invert onto plates and give one short, sharp shake to loosen them. They should drop out easily. If you've made them in teacups, serve as they are. Serves 4.

The sign of a traditionalist: The above recipe calls for real powdered green tea, not tea bags.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea, ginger, and honey for a sore throat

If you're blue and you don't know what to do, why don't you go where fashion sits.


And if you have a sore throat and want to sooth it naturally, why don't you try green tea with ginger and honey?


Freshly grated ginger works best — and tastes best, too.


By the way, this yummy combination is great even when you don't have a sore throat.



A homemade cup of green with with ginger and honey — mmm, yummy!


—Mellow Monk

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Shizuoka tea slideshow

John Lander, whose beautiful photographs I featured recently, also has this slideshow of Shizuoka's exquisite world of tea:



Japanese Tea Images Gallery - Images by John Lander


—Mellow Monk

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Jamba Juice to serve "heavenly" tea

The news from Jamba Juice is that its upcoming lineup of hot beverages includes "Heavenly Green Tea," made with matcha green tea, cane sugar, and vanilla.


I look forward to tasting one, although I will probably ask them to hold the cane sugar.


And with a bottle of vanilla extract, we could all make our own Heavenly Green Tea.



A farmhouse and its tea field. (Taken by yours truly in Kumamoto, Japan.)


—Mellow Monk

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99 kettles of tea on the wall ...

Cortney Wagner, who operates the tea blog 99kettles, was kind enough to review our Top Leaf Green Tea.


And speaking of kettles, ChefsChoice makes some nice ones — electric and cordless, and many with other nifty features.


For instance, the 688 SmartKettle not only heats water to within 2 degrees of the temperature you set it to, but also holds the water at that temperature and is twice as energy efficient as heating water in a conventional stovetop kettle.



Click for an extreme close-up of the mellow infusion.


—Mellow Monk

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A tea ceremony in person, and temple gardens online

If you live in Saginaw, Michigan, you can experience an authentic Japanese tea ceremony right in town — at the Japanese Cultural Center and Tea House.


And now matter where you live, you can virtually visit some amazing Japanese gardens, courtesy of photographer John Lander (www.asiaimages.net).


PhotoShelter also has an automated slideshow of its blissful images.



A view at the amazing Shisendo Temple. (Photographer: John Lander www.asiaimages.net.)


—Mellow Monk

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Two nice, simple infusers from LifeNow

I have seen this ForLife infuser (which comes with a mug) at my local Pete's Coffee and Teas. It feels very sturdy and well-built, which is important when dislodging sticky wet leaves that have yielded all of their goodness and need replacing.


I also like this infuser: The extended handle means it should fit across all but the largest of mugs, and it comes with a nice little ceramic drip-catching dish.


Which is important when keeping green tea's wholesome goodness off of your desk.





—Mellow Monk

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Tea catechins' bioavailability demonstrated by new study

A study published in the journal Nutrition shows that "green tea catechins are more bioavailable than previously observed."


"Bioavailable" means how much of an ingested substance survives digestion and whatnot to remain available for the body to absorb and use.


(For instance, that means more green tea antioxidants to fight glaucoma and other eye ailments.)


In the case of green tea, science had long known that catechins such as EGCG have the ability to fight various afflictions. What was unclear, however, was how much of those green tea catechins actually made it into the body to fight those ailments.


Therein lies the significance of this study: Now we have even more proof that compounds like EGCG really do survive the trip into our bodies.


They are, after all, such hearty compounds. (Pun intended.)



Just looking at a scene like this feels good for my eyes. (From a segment of the documentary Kyushu, Where Japan's Green Tea Grows.)


—Mellow Monk

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The Tea Guy's videos

Brendan the Tea Guy hosts informative, nicely made videos about tea, such as an overview of steeping devices and this video on how to brew loose-leaf tea with a French press:




—Mellow Monk

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Kelly reviews our Shaded Leaf

Kelly McGeachie has written a review [Facebook link] of our Shaded Leaf Green Tea.


For those who have trouble accessing her Facebook note, I have pasted the text below, after the photo accompanying her review.



Nice mug, Kelly! (And the tea's not bad, either.)

Mellomonk Green Tea review OCTOBER 2009.

One thing I love and cherish is the opportunity to sit in my armchair in my bedroom with a steaming cup full of tea, a magazine and my teapot sitting right next to me on the table.; ready for a quick top-up.

I've always been an avid black tea drinker, whether it be English Breakfast or some spicy chai; but a couple of years back a friend of mine overseas introduced me to the wonderful world that is 'Green Tea'. I'd tried a couple of brands of tea bags and other loose leafs in the past, as I'd heard so much about the wonderful health benefits of drinking Green Tea. To be honest I really wasn't that fond of it! Can you relate to this yourself?

This friend of mine kept telling me I should try something else when it came to my Green tea. Tea bags are NOT and never are the answer, he told me. He suggested I try this brand called Mellow Monk that he had been buying for a while. 'You gotta get in touch with the monk kel' he'd say to me.

In a surprising bout of generosity my friend sent me some of this Mellow Monk tea to try. When I received it I was instantly drawn to the pretty foil packaging and really couldn't wait to try it. (This stuff is leaf tea by the way). The taste was something out of this world. So much so that since my first packet of Mellow Monk I haven't looked back and I never even touch black tea anymore. Well, unless I'm round a friend’s house and feel the need to be polite in accepting it.

Today, I received a packet of Mellow Monk's latest Green Tea called 'Shaded Leaf’, a Sencha tea which I have yet to try,. As the name connotes the leaves are shaded about 21 days before harvest, blocking out 90% of sunlight, this then stimulates the plant to make more of the super healthy catcheins, that we know are so good for us.

As soon as I open the packet I just know I am in for a treat, instantly you can smell the youthfulness and freshness of the leaves in the packet. Plus, I don't know about you but I'm always drawn to pretty packaging! ;)

To prepare, I grab my teapot and boil some water. I 'walk away' for a while to let the water cool to as close to 75 degrees as possible (The perfect brewing temperature) I then put a level teaspoon of Shaded Leaf into my tea pot and steep it for approximately three minutes.

I strain the leaves and pour the tea into my cup (step by step instructions, very important you see) and voila! The tea is ready!

The strained leaves almost represent a paste after use, they are so moist and fresh I cannot begin to tell you. From a few past brands I had tried from my local health shop the leaves were always so dry. Apparently this is not how your leaves should be.

So for now the taste test:

The Shaded Leaf is soft and sweet, and mild in flavour. In fact if you
let it cool enough you could probably drink it down like water the
taste is so smooth. The taste is so crisp and fresh without a trace of
harshness or bitterness in my mouth. In my opinion if you are a
beginner when it comes to green tea this would be the perfect
elementary tea for you to try! Also, this tea would be suitable for
consumption at any time of the day, particularly a after a meal
(always a nice way to finish off I think)

My rating is honestly 5/5 – This is probably one of my favourite
Mellow Monk teas, probably due to the fact that it has such a smooth
and full-bodied taste.

Another thing I LOVE about this tea (and yet ANOTHER reason why I
choose this brand over anything else) is that it is sourced from
eco-friendly farms, that have minimal environmental impact!

The quality really is fantastic! and did I mention the service yet?
Well If not then rest assured that whenever I have bought my tea from
their online store, the company is very helpful. They usually ship to
me overseas within a week! I thought this would be important to
mention as I know people tend to worry about that when buying offline,
but I can assure you they've always been fast and efficient, and
always answer any questions you may have etc.

If you want to get your hands on some of this then check out the
website at http://www. mellowmonk.com and see what tickles your fancy! There is much variety to choose from.

—Mellow Monk

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Green tea market keeps on chooglin'

According to Global Industry Analysts, the global market for green tea will exceed 1.2 million tons by 2015.


GIA doesn't say how big the market is now — you have to buy the full report to find that out — but any way you slice it (or steam it or roll it), 1.2 million tons is a lot of tea.



I took this photo last summer at the estate of one of our growers in Kumamoto.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea ice cream—from scratch!

The Hindu gives us a simple recipe for scrumptious green tea ice cream.


The recipe appears in the 2nd half of the article, so if you do not see it above the fold, do not despair — simply scroll down a bit. Trust me — it's worth it!


This recipe calls for matcha, and although our own is currently sold out, the grower has shipped more, so we will be restocked soon.



This home-made ice cream looks blissfully yummy.


—Mellow Monk

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Countdown to the Victoria Tea Festival

There are only 9 days left until the Victoria Tea Festival, which bills itself as North America's largest public tea exhibition.



A pic from 2009 festival's image gallery.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea and exercise stave off depression in breast cancer patients, study finds

Dr. Xiao Ou Shu, a researcher at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, has found that "[b]reast cancer patients who exercise and drink tea on a regular basis may be less likely to suffer from depression than other patients."


Dr. Shu's study examined 1,399 Chinese women living in Shanghai, and "the type of tea [they] most commonly consumed was green tea."


The importance of avoiding depression is that "[d]epression may reduce a patient’s quality of life, increase the length of hospital stays and affect compliance with cancer therapy."



Vanderbilt's Dr. Shu.


—Mellow Monk

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Mellow Monk ranks high on Martha Stewart radio tea judging

Mellow Monk came in 2nd place out of six teas judged in a live, on-air tea judging on Whole Living, a show on Martha Stewart Living Radio.


The tea tested was our Top Leaf, whose quality truly reflects the dedication and passion of the tea artisans who make it.



Top Leaf, far right, holds his own against the competition and does the Monk proud.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea creme brulee

Submitted for your approval — a scrumptious-looking recipe for green tea creme brulee.



I think I have one of these propane torches in my shed. Will that do?


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea health benefits wrap-up

News about the health benefits of green tea just keeps coming, and the flurry has been especially heavy of late.


For instance, recently announced findings show that green tea reduces the risk of getting kidney stones, brain disorders, endometrial cancer (the most common gynecologic cancer), and type 2 diabetes, and is also heart healthy to boot.


Little green tea leaf, you are an amazing and hard-working plant.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea, hangover cure

Regarding hangover cures, Keith Strickland of the B-52s says, "Green Tea is about the best one I have used."


I thought I would share this with you now, instead of tomorrow, when it might be too late.


Happy New Year's, everyone.



A nice, warm cup of hangover cure, waiting for you.


—Mellow Monk

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The Sorapot, an outside-the-box brewing concept

Here's an interesting approach to brewing loose-leaf tea: Joey Roth's Sorapot, available at Amazon (when it's not sold out).




—Mellow Monk

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The $2,500 bottle of green tea

That is a lot to pay for a bottle of green tea.


Not only are quality greens available for much less [hint, hint], but green tea's free-radical-fighting catechins begin breaking down soon after brewing, which is why freshly brewed tea is so much healthier for you.


(Bottled teas that tout their high EGCG content, for instance, have boosted the catechin artificially.)



Billed as "the green tea you enjoy in a wine glass."


—Mellow Monk

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Destress with green tea, suggests college columnist

Over at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, columnist Laura Krawczyk suggests that her fellow students studying for finals add green tea to their stress-busting arsenal.


Speaking of green tea and stress, here's a video from the last Calm-a-Sutra contest:




—Mellow Monk

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Mellow Monk's tea-buying trip to Japan: grand finale

Here it is, the final segment of "Kyushu, Where Japan's Green Tea Grows," a European documentary in which a Mellow Monk tea procurer is prominently featured. (When watching the video, there will be no doubt as to which one is him.)


We have more videos at YouTube, too. You can also watch this video at Vimeo.





—Mellow Monk

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Green tea biscotti

The recipe for green tea shortbread that I posted recently proved popular among us foodies, so here's another yummy-sounding one—for green tea biscotti.



Perfect for dipping in a cup of hot green tea.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea shortbread recipes

This article in Canada's National Postgives us three tea recipes, including one for yummy-sounding green tea shortbread made with matcha:

GREEN TEA SHORTBREAD

Green tea turns these cookies an elegant shade of green and the sparkling sugar makes them glitter. For more green tea flavour, use up to 2 tbsp (30 mL) powdered green tea.

- 1 cup (250 mL) butter

- ½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar

- 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

- 1 tbsp (15 mL) powdered green tea (matcha)

- ½ tsp (2 mL) salt

- ¼ cup (50 mL) coarse sparkling sugar (optional)

1. Cream butter with granulated sugar until light.

2. Combine flour, green tea powder and salt in a bowl and add to butter mixture. Mix only until combined. Divide into two parts, flatten slightly, wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

3. Roll out each piece of dough on a floured surface, ¼-inch (5 mm) thick. Cut out with your fave cookie cutter. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar and press in slightly. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in a preheated 325°F (160°C) oven. Do not let cookies brown. Cool on racks. Makes 36 to 40 cookies

As always, the Monk is willing to sample the results of your culinary experimentations—especially sweet ones.



Click the pic to see another scrumptious green tea shortbread recipe.


—Mellow Monk

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NHK matcha documentary

Thanks to YouTube user Imarvanriet for tipping me off about a well-done NHK documentary on matcha. Here, for your viewing pleasure, is part 1:





—Mellow Monk

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Homemade tea: pick, steep, and drink

A writer for the San Francisco Chronicle brews homemade tea with dried herbs from a rooftop garden and a fill-it-yourself teabag that irons shut.


I wish I new where the attractive glass mug shown in the photo comes from. Anyone know?





—Mellow Monk

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Tea sommelier and recipies

A pair of tea-related stories from the Vancouver Sun—one about a tea sommelier and some "less traditional" tea recipies.





—Mellow Monk

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Our tea reviewed on Tea Finely Brewed

Tea Finely Brewed has reviewed our Monk's Bliss green tea.





—Mellow Monk

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Aladdin's magic infuser mug

What I really like about the Aladdin Tea Infuser Mug is that it's equipped with a means of removing your tea leaves from the water (to stop infusion and prevent oversteeping): You simply turn the lever near the lid (see the picture below) to lift the built-in tea infuser up and out of the brewed tea inside.


When you finish your first batch of brewed tea, you add more hot water, turn the lever back to the "Brew" position and pretty soon you've got another mug of tasty tea.


Easy, convenient, and neat—now that's mellow.





—Mellow Monk

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It's official: green tea drinkers are mellower

Once again, science proves something we already knew—that green tea drinkers are mellower.


To be more specific, a study showed that people who drink at least five cups of green tea per day are less likely to suffer from psychological distress.


This finding, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is just one of the many results gleaned from the "Ohsaki cohort," a group of over 40 thousand people in Japan whose health was monitored over many years.



A nice mellow grove of bamboo. Photo taken in Aso.


—Mellow Monk

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A study to determine the HPV-fighting abilities of green tea

Researchers at the University of Arizona Medical Center are launching a study to see if green tea polyphenols can help fight the human papillomavirus (HPV).



Researchers Sherry Chow and Wade Chew prepare vials for the green tea study.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea reduces pneumonia risk

Folks, it's getting to the point where even I'm having trouble keeping up with all the research results coming out about the health benefits of green tea.


Here's another one:

Drinking as little as one cup or less of green tea per day was associated with 41 percent less risk of dying from pneumonia among Japanese women, the investigators found.

The findings, they say, "support the possibility" that green tea contains compounds capable of destroying or inhibiting the growth of viruses and microorganisms.

—Mellow Monk

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Green tea halves leukemia risk: study

Yet more recent research points to green tea's cancer-fighting properties.


Results published in the American Journal of Epidemiology show that drinking 5 cups or more per day reduced the risk of leukemia and other blood cancers by one half compared to participants in the over 40,000-person-strong cohort who drank one cup or less per day.


For more information about green tea and leukemia, you can read previous postings in this blog.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea, acne, and the Kuma River

A blogger called Dr. Zit writes about how simply drinking green tea — not using creams containing green tea, or taking a green tea extract pill — has dramatically improved his skin.



Taken from the shore of a small island in the Kuma River. This is the same spot where we took a recently posted video.


—Mellow Monk

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Chicago Potter reviews our Top Leaf green tea

Chris Chaney, a.k.a. the Chicago Potter, writes the kind of thorough review of one of our teas that only a true tea lover could.


Thanks, Chris.



Our pride and joy. One of them, that is.


—Mellow Monk

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The perfect steeper—really and truly

When I first heard about an on-the-go infuser mug called the Perfect Steeper, I thought, Well their marketing department isn't shy. But upon examining how this steeper works, I realize the name may be far more objective than I had suspected.


Here's how it works: After filling the mug—see the photo below—with hot water, you place your loose-leaf tea into the tea receptacle, which contains a permanent filter and sits atop and screws into the mug. You then screw on the receptacle's top and turn the whole thing upside-down, allowing the hot water to flow from the mug down into the tea receptacle. The leaves swirl around in the hot water, yielding their wonderful essence. A brew is born.


This video shows the Perfect Steeper in action:





As you can see, when steeping is done you simply turn the steeper back over. The brewed tea flows out of the tea receptacle, stopping the infusion process. The tea leaves are now high and dry, ready for another steeping later on.


This is an oh-so-elegant solution to an ancient issue in the world of tea-brewing contraptions—how to remove the leaves from the hot water/tea to prevent oversteeping. (This teapot also uses gravity to do the trick.)


Another feature I like is that to drink your freshly brewed tea, you remove the permanent filter and set it down upside down—no dripping, and no need for a separate drip-catcher. Another big plus: the mug consists of a glass liner—because who wants to drink out of plastic?—with a polycarbonate shell to protect against dropping and other unforeseen incidents.


It really does sound like the perfect steeper. I can't wait to give one a test drive.



This really could be the perfect steeper.


—Mellow Monk

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Tea-dyed tees

Tea Dyed Tees sells what the name suggests—t-shirts dyed with tea.



The Hobo TeaBag.


—Mellow Monk

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Vitamin C boosts absorption of green tea antioxidants: study

Cathy Wong at About.com has already done an exemplary job of summarizing a study indicating that vitamin C helps your body absorb more antioxidants from your green tea, so I won't reinvent the wheel.


I will point out, however, that this study is one in a long line of research pointing to this complementarity between green tea and citrus fruits.


I would also be remiss if didn't remind the unfamiliar that there exists an age-old tradition of adding a piece of, say, dried orange or mikan peel to a pot of tea.


Yet more evidence that the ancient ones knew just what they were doing.



Don't throw that away.


—Mellow Monk

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Green tea linked to less cancer in women

From ABC News:

As if you needed another reason to drink green tea: Japanese women, but not Japanese men, who regularly drink 5 or more cups daily appear about 20 percent less likely to develop stomach cancer, study findings hint.

The findings were published in a paper in the journal Gut.



Japan's National Cancer Center, where the study was conducted.


—Mellow Monk

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Gourmet teas thrive as global economy sags

From the New York Times:

The global economic crisis may have damped the appetite for high-end goods, but one small daily luxury — gourmet tea — has been posting surprisingly strong sales [. . .]

Read the rest here.



The tasting room at Le Palais des Thés in Paris.


—Mellow Monk

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What is green tea? This video explains

Kim Pham, co-proprietor of the Kaleisia Tea Lounge in Tampa, explains how green tea differs from other types of teas. Great video, Kim.





—Mellow Monk

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Green tea may improve bone health

Green tea could strengthen your bones and help prevent osteoporosis and other bone diseases that afflict so many, according to a recent study.


Publishing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers found that certain green tea polyphenols promote bone formation by boosting the activity of a bone growth enzyme, but without any toxic effects to bone-producing cells.


Promoting the good without introducing the bad—that is truly the ultimate goal of all healing.



Who would guess that such a soft, gentle liquid could be so good for toughening our bones—and our teeth, too.


—Mellow Monk

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In which Dolly Parton mindfulness breaks the cycle of stress

Naturally rich in theanine, green tea helps promote mellowness.


When incorporated into your daily routine, a green tea break—your own personal tea ceremony—is also a great way to practice mindfulness, which can also help break the viscous cycle of stress.


But did you realize that everything you needed to know about mindfulness you can learn from Dolly Parton?





—Mellow Monk

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The heart of the Japanese way of tea

Powdered green tea is at the heart of the Japanese way of drinking tea, and you can cook with it, too.



A tasty, healthful, thirst-quenching glass of iced green tea made with powdered green tea.


—Mellow Monk

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Hands-free tea pouring

If I told you there was a way to transfer tea from a teapot to a teacup without using your hands, and without even lifting the cup or pot, would you believe me?


Because you should.


—Mellow Monk

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Steeped in tradition

Until November 29 at UCLA's Fowler Museum, you can see tea items "practical and ostentatious" at the Steeped in Tradition exhibit.



I'd like to see this exhibit just to learn what the object in the foreground is.


—Mellow Monk

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Wet leaves

Submitted for your approval—wet tea leaves in Aso.


This tea bush was located in the garden of the tea instructor who appears in part three of the documentary our tea buyer appeared in.


This is also the pic we used for our Twitter background.



A visual haiku.


—Mellow Monk

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