News

2022
2022.11.01

Japanese Green Tea Workshop for exchange students was held

On the 19th of October, Exchange Students from Overseas Program (ESOP) students had the opportunity to learn more about Japanese tea during the workshop organized by a qualified instructor of Japanese tea from Hosei University.

The workshop can be divided into two parts: ‘theory’ and ‘practice’. During the first half of the workshop, we were told about tea-growing techniques and different sorts of tea. Surprisingly, a large amount of tea is grown in Shizuoka prefecture which is very close to Tokyo. During the second half, we were trying to brew sencha green tea by ourselves having been told some tips to do it properly. For instance, it turned out that the water for tea should be about 70 degrees Celsius so one can fully enjoy the flavor of the drink. Besides, we brewed tea from traditional Japanese utensils some of which we have seen for the first time. Even though tea is quite a popular drink in many countries around the world, such tea that we made ourselves under the guidance of the instructor surprised us. It was both bitter and salty, with a hint of umami taste. Such a complicated flavor is difficult to appreciate if one is inexperienced in tea drinking. That is why we were also offered Japanese sweets that include seasonal food. In the fall, such seasonal foods are sweet potatoes and chestnuts. After finishing our drinks, we had some time to ask questions related to the theme of the workshop.

Although the whole lecture and tea brewing took less than one hour, thanks to the workshop we had the opportunity to learn more about Japanese tea and try brewing it by ourselves.

Georgii Bormin (ESOP student)