This week we had our last tea tasting with Kotomi. The tea for this week was matcha, and although we have tried matcha before during last quarter, this experience was much different. This time K0tomi used beautiful handmade ceramic bowls to mix the matcha powder with the warm water. Doing this made the ratio absolutely perfect and less bitter tasting than the last time. With that in mind, this is what I noted as we drank and talked.

 

Type of Tea

 Appearance Flavor

Aroma
Matcha (powder made from the whole leaves of the plant) Mucky but bright green. A color similar to light seaweed. Opaque. Strong. Bitter seaweed. Grassy. Texture is slightly thick or chalky on the tongue. Grassy. Seaweed. Earthy.

 

While Kotomi has graced us with her tea tastings for the past two quarters, I am both happy and sentimental about the fact that she is graduating. As I recall on our tea-buzzed chatting and special moments huddled around the back lab table mystified by tea, I get the feeling that I will leave this experience not only knowing more about tea, but thinking of our time together every time I drink it.