On 28th February and 4th April, we — Thomas Fries, owner of Moment Tea-Coffee in Basel, and Andy von Allmen (nihoncha.ch) — hosted two events dedicated to Japanese tea culture. What began as a single planned event quickly turned into two, thanks to overwhelming interest.
During these two-hour sessions, participants were introduced to the world of Japanese tea: its plant, history, varieties, production methods, and brewing and storage techniques. Staying true to the event’s title, “Introduction to Japanese Tea Culture – Images, Words, and Deeds,” we aimed to engage all the senses. Attendees enjoyed tastings of tamaryokucha, roasted wakocha, and kabusecha with mikan (cold brewed), while also getting hands-on with tea seeds, different teas and traditional teaware.
The enthusiastic response, thoughtful questions, and interest in future sessions made it a truly rewarding experience. We are happy to announce that this event will return in May and June, and we look forward to welcoming more tea enthusiasts!
*Text and images by our Tea Catalyst Andy von Allmen