New Tastes in Green Tea

Mutsuko Tokunaga is a renowned Japanese food stylist and was Vice President of the World Green Tea Association. She appears regularly on radio and television in Japan and writes on cooking and tea for Japanese newspapers and magazines. New Tastes in Green Tea follows two previous publications in Japanese. Jane Pettigrew is one of England’s leading authorities on tea, and the author of a number of classic books on the subject.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD     Jane Pettigrew     10
INTRODUCTION: A Green Treasure     12

Part 1
A TEA DRINKER’S GUIDE     14

Types of Japanese Green Tea     17
Tea Utensils     20
Making the Perfect Cup of Green Tea     23
    Sencha and fukamushicha
    Bancha, hojicha, and genmaicha
    Gyokuro
    Mizudashi-sencha
    Iced Sencha

Useful Tips for Making Tea     26
Matcha: How to Make and Drink it     28
    The Etiquette of Drinking Matcha     29
The Selection of Tea Utensils     31

Green Tea Cafes     32
Green Tea and Japanese Confectioneries     34

Traditional Teas – New Tastes     37
    Sencha/Gyokuro Drinks     38
    Matcha Drinks     41
Blends and Flavored Teas     46
    Herb Tea Blends     47
    Green and Black Tea Blends     48
    Fruit and Flower Teas     49

Part 2
ALL ABOUT GREEN TEA     50

The Cultivation of Tea Bushes     51
The Processing of Sencha     54
The Main Types of Tea     56
A Short History of Tea     58

Part 3
COOKING WITH GREEN TEA     64

Green Tea in Cooking     66
    The Components of Green Tea     68
Recipes     70
    Five Macha Spreads — Savory Dishes —
    Desserts and Teatime Treats

Part 4
OTHER FACTS ABOUT TEA     114

Common Questions about Green Tea     115
Health Benefits of Green Tea     118
Classic Green Tea Labels     122
Useful Household Tips with Green Tea     124
Tea and Proverbs     125

Acknowledgments     127