TEA TIME !
Tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, but how much do you really know about it? Tea comes in many different styles, flavors and origins, just like wine.
Leave to the Japanese to go really full nerd about it, there are dozens of variables depending on when the leaf is picked and how it is processed. This changes the flavor, the color, the taste and the optimal brewing temperature.
These guys @nyomilife have a great breakdown of the 42 types of teas that you can get in Japan… Wild! Super interesting if you are a Sommelier or just a beverage geek in general. Wanna learn more? check their site out, some very cool teas to be had BTW we are not affiliated, not paid for this, not getting anything out of it commercially (but they sound like nice people).
https://yunomi.life/blogs/japanese-tea-guide/list-of-japanese-teas
SOME CHEAT NOTES (with info from from their site)
Why so much ceremony?
It’s about the company and to bring awareness to your own sense of being and to connect with others. The idea is that tea should be a spiritual experience that ‘heightens your awareness of the world’.
According to their claim, there are “70+ schools of tea ceremony” however they all have different rules depending on the school.
Japanese tea production can be simplified as
harvest –> steam –> roll –> dry –> sort –> post-process.
GROWING TEA
+ Location, location, location. Just like wine.
Mountain tea with night/day differences = delicate flavors
Flat or valley tea = faster growth, bolder flavors
Varietals
There are 200+ different varietals in Japan particular, like Uji Hikari Matcha, renowned for it’s flavor. . .
Yabukita – 75% of the tea grown in Japan. Hardy & makes decent sencha BUT produces less theanine and duller color. (so + bitter and less green)
Why field blends?
Just like wine, prevents catastrophic loss, pest resistance, different harvest time, flavor.
Other varietals
| Asahi Asanoka Gokou (or Gokо̄) Hо̄shun Kanaya Midori Samidori | Saemidori Okumidori Okuyutaka Seimei Tenmyо̄ Uji Hikari Uji Midori |
| BY PERCENTAGE (and links!) Yabukita: 75% (31905ha) Yutaka Midori: 6% Saemidori: 3% | Okumidori: 3% Sayama Kaori: 2% Kanaya Midori: 1% Asatsuyu: 1% Zairai: 2% Others: 7% |
Major flavor compounds:
Catechin (antioxidants) → bitter
L-theanine, aminoacid → umami flavor, (savoury sweetness)
As the plant grows theanine → catechin (unless shaded like for matcha)
Harvesting
Machine harvesting = less quality tea (but faster, cheaper)
Spring harvest → best tea, flavorful not bitter
Grinding
Highest quality is stone ground (like chocolate or corn)
Takes 10 hours to process 500gr (hence the price)
Faster is possible but detracts from flavor
Grading matcha (only made from shaded leaves)
1. Flavor (high umami, low bitterness)
2. Smooth texture (fine grind, 5 microns ideal, 15 for cooking)
3. Bright green color
4. Rich aroma
5. Foamy (added texture when whipped with a whisk)
STORAGE
6 months or less ideal for matcha
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: CANADIAN HOSPITALITY MUSEUM
We know recovery will be slow. Some may not make it. Why not preserve highlights? The gems. The love. So I had an idea ( and you know I am one crafty character) : A virtual museum of Canadian Hospitality.
I think we need an unifying project that can help us celebrate what we’ve had and what we can do, and share that with the world.
I, for one, want a quarantine project that is good and brings some joy to the world.
Know a food scholar? Have old menus? Old wine lists? Know something about restaurants in Canada ? Good stories ? Send them! hospitality@virmuze.com or to me directly. We’ll add them up, set them in a virtual museum where anyone can see how far Canadian hospitality has come along . . And help inspire future generations whenever the time is ready.
The biggest contributors will be rewarded with a little prize every month.
All contributors will be given credit of course, in the socials and in the museum (AKA free marketing for you and your brand).
The museum is setup Not for profit, by the way.
THE CANADIAN HOSPITALITY MUSEUM (CLICK HERE FOR MORE)
Hello Hospitality fan,
With the material submitted we will start a page and sort out a timeline / exhibit of restaurants in Canada, that can start with the first native settlers and end yesterday.
The software of Virmuze is powerful, and can handle text, voice, video and many types of media. Even better, it’s FREE.
So let me know if you are interested. We will need volunteers, and I have have a google docs to help us get started and somewhat sorted. Between Ian and I we will upload and sort the contributions.
FAQ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YBTPjbGVRPe-4yzX614fVMpISK2Hk5CA6NrNnrMxZkA/edit?usp=sharing
Feel free to add if you think it would be helpful.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YBTPjbGVRPe-4yzX614fVMpISK2Hk5CA6NrNnrMxZkA/edit?usp=sharing
You are also welcome to start your own museum and we can link to whatever you post. Here is a one minute video that explains what is possible in virmuze
Hope that together we can build something cool and interesting that can bring some hope to everyone.
Found this randomly on a walkie. There is love in the most unexpected places, and from the least likely sources. I think this whole episode of COVID shows that there is indeed more love behind bars (the real and the imaginary ones) than what we think about. Keep yer beating heart going and don’t despair, this is a hiccup in the big picture and sooner than you know we’ll be reminiscing of the day we had to look inside for meaning. There will be always some kind of hospitality because, as dear friend Adly Gawad says, ‘true hospitality feels like love’.
GRATITUDE WINS THE DAY IN BUSINESS AND LIFE
I came across an American team that somehow ended in the same place as me: Gratitude is the way of the future and a more humane and efficient tool for management. And not only for work, but for life in general. Here are some of their findings:
We both agree on this: how do you make people feel valued? show your gratitude.
But expressing gratitude needs to be authentic, they say:
Offer details (why or what was done), offer specific praise, as it triggers an emotional connection; it also shows that you were paying attention to what others (your staff or coworkers or service workers) do around you. As a company, “When you show gratitude it shows what you value as a company”.
Make it personalized, find a connection, make sure they know that the leader cares about them. Then you can instil the values and targets of the company.
It will be weird at first do do, but with practice it gets easier. Its little things you can do every day that helps you build up your ‘gratitude battery’. They have a nifty suggestion: put 10 coins in your pocket. As you go about your day, every time you express gratitude shift one coin from pocket to pocket.
As the day goes on you will be surprised how easy its to do, and with practice you will do it without even thinking much. And by the end of your day you will have tangible proof that you made a difference in how we interact with each other.
FREE PODCAST (30 min in case you don’t wanna do the seminar): https://bregmanpartners.com/podcast/chester-elton-leading-with-gratitude/
(as always, Im not getting paid for this, not affiliated, I don’t know them, etc. They sound like good people with their heart in the right place)
Another thing you can do, of course, is voting for the people in customer service that you come across. Its not much to you, but it makes a huge difference to the staff. Its simple, it works and it will feel you much better than you imagine. We think this can change the world, a little positive action at a time. Know someone great at their job? tell us about them. We will have their efforts recognized.
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