At the Table
Choosing cups and bowls, brewing tea and setting the table. Practical reading for the pieces you use every day.
Start here
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The Beginner's Tea Set: What You Need to Brew Sencha at Home
Start brewing sencha with a practical teapot, cups, and a repeatable recipe. Learn about kyusu handles, water temperature,...
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Setting a Japanese hot pot table
Build a Japanese hot pot setting with a suitable donabe, tonsui bowls, and renge spoons. Compare model-specific capacity,...
More reading
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Is Ceramic Tableware Safer Than Plastic? What the Evidence Says
Plastic tableware can shed micro- and nanoplastics; ceramic glazes can, in some cases, release lead or cadmium. Here...
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How to Choose a Matcha Bowl for Everyday Use
A matcha bowl needs room for the whisk, a shape that suits how you drink, and an interior...
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How to Choose a Japanese Sake Cup: Ochoko, Guinomi, Sakazuki
Ochoko, guinomi, or sakazuki? How to pick a Japanese sake cup by shape, material, and whether you drink...
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Washi at the Tea Table: Where Paper Meets Ceramic
Kaishi, paper mats, notes and gift wrapping at the tea table, with clear distinctions for tea etiquette, food...
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Shizuoka Green Tea: How to Brew Sencha, Gyokuro & Genmaicha
Compare deep-steamed sencha, gyokuro, and matcha genmaicha, with starting recipes for temperature, leaf quantity, and steeping time. Check...
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The Six Essentials of Tea: Leaf, Water, Fire, Vessel, Setting, Person
Six practical things to consider when brewing tea: leaf, water, temperature, vessel, setting, and attention. Start with the...
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How to Appreciate Tea Aroma: Leaf, Brew and Empty Cup
Notice tea fragrance in the leaf, the warm brew, and the empty cup. A practical guide to aroma,...
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What Tea Goes With What Glaze: A Pairing Guide by Color
Visual pairings for matcha, sencha, and roasted teas: compare dark glaze, celadon, white porcelain, slip decoration, and unglazed...
