Hi all,
Grasshopper and Lurker mentioned a website I had never seen before, the one for Maiko Tea. As I looked through it, I found that they have a series of lectures delivered in a slide-show/animation format, and it is an excellent introduction to Japanese tea. It talks about/shows how it is cultivated, what the major varieties are, how to prepare the different varieties, etc.
I would quibble with some of the details of how they suggest you make tea (I'd use more leaf and much shorter brewing times), but then, we all play with those details all the time anyway, and you have to start
*somewhere* ;)I've been interested in Japanese teas for many, many years, but this is, hands down, the very best, richest introduction I've ever encountered! They've done a careful job that is still very accessible, and it is available in English, German or Japanese. The English is quirky-playful sometimes, but obviously written by a native- speaker of English. Whoever thought up this project did it well :) Go have a look and enjoy! :)
james-henry holland japanese language and culture hobart and william smith colleges geneva, new york 14456 usa