Celadon Matcha Tea BowlIn true Wabi Sabi nature, preparing and enjoying matcha is at once
remarkably simple and profoundly complex. Whether you prefer
chado
(water for tea),
chanoyu (the way of tea), modern teaism (a
pared down way of enjoying matcha) or a personalized tea ritual of your
own, the Celadon Chawan (or celadon matcha tea bowl) is a fantastic way
to prepare and sip matcha alone or with guests.
To begin your tea ritual, dip a handcrafted
chashaku (bamboo matcha scoop) just under
the surface of your stash of vibrant, verdant
Matcha Hekisui. Carefully place the precious ground
tealeaves into your handmade Celadon Chawan. Pause for a moment to
observe the striking contrast of dense, spring green powder on
transparent, pale-blue crackle glaze. Then, tap the chashaku
gently three times against the rim of the chawan, noting the resonance
of wood against porcelain. Add freshly simmered filtered water and
using a
chasen, briskly whisk the powder into an opaque emerald quaff,
complete with brilliant green froth.
As the exquisite liquid settles, watch it slide over the gentle
ridges that line the chawan`s interior. Take a moment to observe your
handiwork, to remember Sen no Rikyu (the father of Japan`s chanoyu
traditions) or to thank Koburi Enshu (a lesser known figure from tea
history who is accredited with popularizing many of the styles of
Japanese pottery we admire today).
Sip slowly from the tea bowl, savoring your
koicha (thick matcha)
or
usucha (thin matcha) as you drink, or honor the chanoyu custom of
completing your matcha with three sips of tea and a slurp of foam. As
the sublime experience of super-premium matcha washes over you,
contemplate the history of your beverage of choice -- its origins in
Chinese tea customs that have since been lost, its development into a
key component of Japanese culture, its continuation in the hundreds of
tea schools worldwide and its starring role in the development of
distinctive Japanese ceramics, such as this blue-tinged chawan (which
differs in shape and in color from Chinese and Korean celadon ware).
Smiling inward and out, complete your matcha journey with a single word:
oishii (delicious).
To learn more, check out the video of Jesse's visit to
the San Francisco Urasenke Foundation school of chado.Tea bowl dimensions: Approximately five inches wide at mouth of the bowl, four inches tall
Quite Enjoyable!!! 
