This informative brochure was created to promote the Tea Box, Takashimaya’s in-store café and shop featuring an international selection of teas.

Project Text
TEMPEST IN A TEACUP
According to Chinese legend, the discovery of tea was purely accidental. One windy day around 2737 BC, some leaves from a wild camellia bush blew into a cup of hot water destined for the health-conscious Emperor Shen Nung. Apparently, it started quite a trend. Tea is remarkable for the way it has transcended cultural and social boundaries, religious ceremonies, and several continents to become one of the world’s most popular beverages. It is further distinguished for its diverse properties: curative, restorative, refreshing. Tea is the center of social gatherings and ancient rituals; it is cozy and refined. Its extensive history is as unique and colorful as the individuals who drink it.

The earliest recognized documentation of tea is in an ancient Chinese dictionary, from 350 AD. At that time, it was a bitter medicinal drink made from raw green tea leaves that were boiled in a kettle and flavored with onion, ginger and orange. Originally, this concoction was used to treat distemper, stomach disorders, lethargy, and bad eyesight until, in the 6th century, royalty and the educated class began to drink it for refreshment. Roasted cake tea, shredded and boiled in water with a pinch of salt, became very popular. Gradually, tea producers began improving the quality of their beverages, and enthusiasm grew. In an attempt to appeal to a wider public, tea merchants sponsored the distinguished scholar, Lu Yu, who published three volumes codifying everything there was to know about tea—botanical origins, producing districts, techniques for cultivation, proper ways to brew and drink. Like the cafes of Europe, Chinese teahouses are gathering places. They appeared as early as the Tang Dynasty and, initially, were the exclusive province of the wealthy and the literati. By the Ming Dynasty, these businesses lined the streets, and were open to all.

The Japanese attribute the discovery of tea to the father of Buddhism, a wandering Indian monk called Bodhidharma. In 519, the story goes, he tore off his eyelids in an act of repentance and cast them to the ground, where they later sprouted the bush whose leaves became tea. He brought this secret to Japan in 593, although it wasn’t until the the 9th century that the Emperor Saga ordered tea planted in 5 provinces and declared it the court beverage. At that time, all things Chinese were quite fashionable in Japan but complex politics resulted in a break between the two countries, and tea’s popularity in Japan waned for nearly 300 years.

It was reintroduced in the 12th century as a remarkable curative, and the first tearooms were opened. Both Samurai warriors and Buddhist monks kept the tea traditions alive. The latter were bound to tea by a philosophical relationship with the drink, which they shared from a communal bowl. This practice led to the development of the tea ceremony in the 15th century. Powdered green tea, the “divine elixir,” is used in the ceremony, though on a daily basis the Japanese tend to drink the green leaf tea. The tea ceremony is a metaphor for life, setting the standards for ethical and moral conduct. It is said that the man who possesses these ideals “has tea in him.” With its insistence on the observance of minute gestures and the perfection of ritual, this traditional practice influenced all of Japan’s fine arts, from gardening to architecture to calligraphy.

CHINESE TEAS
White Teas
Produced only in China, these teas are slightly fermented and the least processed. They are to be drunk plain. The Silvery Tip Pekoe, which brews to a pale gold color, is the rarest and most costly.

Oolong Teas
These semi-fermented teas should also be drunk plain. Fancy Formosa Oolong is a bright tea with a subtle peachy flavor.

Congou Teas
Also known as China Black teas, these are referred to as red teas in China. Most are hearty enough to be drunk with milk and sugar. Among the finest is Keemun, which is sweet and aromatic.

Green Teas
It is imperative that these teas be very fresh (within 100 days of plucking). They should be drunk plain.

Scented Teas
Made with green, black or oolong teas, these are enhanced with the fragrance and flavor of delicate fruits and flowers such as jasmine, rose and lychee.

Note:
Herbal teas contain no true tea leaves. Also knows as infusions or tisanes, these “teas” are created from the flowers, berries, peels, seeds, leaves and roots of many different plants such as hibiscus, chamomile, licorice and mint.

Besides being refreshing and delicious, it is widely believed that tea also has curative and restorative powers. In Asia, teas have long been appreciated for their effects on such diverse ailments as heartburn, hangover, stress and high cholesterol. Recent studies in the United States have indicated that green tea may be effective in reducing cancer risk.

JAPANESE TEAS
Genmai-cha is a fragrant tea made from a mixture of green tea and lightly roasted unpolished brown rice, with mandarin peel for a warming effect that improves circulation and popcorn to enhance its fragrance and flavor.

Sencha is the finest hand-picked tea, organically grown beside the Yokimata river in the high mountains near Mount Fugi. Special climactic conditions create this supreme tea with its fruity fragrance and vivid color.

Matcha, green powder tea, traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony, is whisked in a bowl rather than brewed. It has a healthful high fiber content and a potent taste which is usually offset with a sweet accompaniment.

Soybean tea includes finely ground soy and haricot beans mixed with slightly sweet Adlay wheat for a soothing and refreshing aroma and flavor. Excellent for the digestion.

Persimmon tea is caffeine-free, with vitamins A and C, Adlay wheat, and Chinese senna. It is thought to aid in digestion and in preventing the common cold.

Loquat tea, blended from a traditional recipe dating back to the Edo period is healing and refreshing, and also helps with digestion and circulation. It has vitamins A and C, Kuko leaves high in vitamins A,B,C, and E, Adlay wheat, Japanese bamboo leaves and Chinese senna.

Fine tea should be infused in a small clay or porcelain teapot. The water should be as pure as possible (traditionally from the spring nearest the teahouse). Fill the small pot halfway up with tea leaves. Boil water and then let it cool slightly for black teas, and slightly more for green. Fill the pot with hot water and immediately pour it out. This washes the leaves and heats the pot. Refill the pot with water and infuse for 1-5 minutes for green tea; 1-2 minutes for white tea; and 15 seconds-1 minute for semi-fermented or black tea. Pour out the entire contents into cups. The leaves may be re-used: 2-3 more times for green or white leaves; 5 or more times for semi-fermented and black teas. Steep slightly longer after the first use.