IPPODO Tea Co., a Kyoto based purveyor of premium Japanese green tea, came to London's So Restaurant from October 11-13 to introduce a series of workshops on their finest teas. IPPODO has an established reputation in Japan, having produced high quality green teas for the past three centuries, and aims to not only sell their premium products but to communicate a fuller appreciation of the charm and allure of Japanese green tea. Including an introduction to green tea for newcomers, a matcha workshop and an ‘IPPODO Tea Time' session, the 90 minute classes taught in either English or Japanese throughout the three days, gave participants a solid foundation in understanding the process of making the perfect cup of green tea.  

Seated in the downstairs area of So Restaurant in London's West End, the IPPODO team welcomed the twelve participants who had booked their place for the ‘newcomers to green tea workshop' with a warm cup of gyokuro tea, popular for its characteristic mellow sweetness. Mr Kano, director of the company, along with Ms Yamanaka, introduced the four teas on the menu for the day; gyokuro, sencha, matcha and finishing with hojicha, the ‘everyday' tea of Japan, light in flavour, low in caffeine, and quick to brew.

With pens and notebooks at the ready the participants, both Japanese and British, were eager to get out as much information from the class as possible, but IPPODO were one step ahead having provided each class member with meticulous and beautifully presented information sheets about each tea type and their brewing methods. To start the class, a short DVD presentation showing the luscious tea-fields of Kyoto explained the differences in cultivation techniques between the various tea types. For gyokuro and matcha's rich, leafy sweetness the fields are covered for shade whereas leaves that make sencha and bancha are left to soak in the sun so as to produce their characteristic sharp, fragrant and refreshing taste.

For each tea, Ms Yamanaka showed point by point the brewing process, stressing each time the three vital points to think about when making your pot of tea, namely the quantity of tea leaves needed, the temperature of the water for steeping the leaves, and the length of steeping time. Stirring or shaking the teapot would bring out a more bitter taste due to the sensitive and delicate nature of the leaves. After observing each tea being brewed, Ms Yamanaka poured a cup for tasting making sure every last drop made it into the porcelain cups.

Although given specific instructions for each tea, (for example, sencha's bitter-sweet balance can be achieved steeped at eighty degrees for one minute) personal taste was also taken into account by the IPPODO team who encouraged experimentation, giving tips to help find one's own preferred taste. Steeped at a higher temperature for a short time gives an astringent, bitter component, (though pouring freshly boiled water doesn't bode well for the delicate leaves), whereas lower temperatures can make for a full-bodied flavour. Whilst most of the class was spent observing the tea brewing process and sampling the results, three participants tried their hand at making matcha with the beautifully crafted bamboo utensils IPPODO use. Matcha, the tea of ceremonies in Japan, has a rich bold taste and sweet aroma. With IPPODO's perfectly brewed cup for tasting was also a caramelized almond sweet, complimenting the pleasant bittersweet aftertaste of the matcha.

The class finished with tips on how to store tea: “Air, heat, moisture, light and odours are the enemies that effect tea flavours, so you must minimize exposure to these elements and no putting tea in the fridge!” Ms Yamanaka informed the group. “I've always been fascinated by tea and it's been very interesting learning how to make it here. I shouldn't be cooking my tea leaves!” commented one participant, Marie Cheong-Thong. A succinct, well organized and clearly explained class by IPPODO will no doubt see fewer people swiveling their teapots whilst cooking the tea leaves in boiling water, and more of us appreciating the breadth of taste that tea has to offer, that much more.