On May 25th and 26th, the second edition of Iberkanpai, the sake and Japanese gourmet fair in Spain, took place. Once again, we were invited to participate and give a talk about Japanese tea and its possibilities within the hospitality industry. And we could even meet again in person with two of our dear Tea Fellow members from Spain, Xenia and Isabel!
The fair consisted of two parts: one for exhibitors and one for talks and workshops. Among the exhibitors, mainly from the sake world, we could spot some very interesting things and people, also from a tea perspective. Tanaka NL came all the way from The Netherlands to display beautiful ceramic. They focus on hagiyaki and we had met in the past at different tea festivals. This time, aside from teaware, they also brought beautiful sake sets.
While tasting a beautiful umeshu, I was surprised to discover that the woman who had craft it was actually a Nihoncha Instructor from Oita Prefecture! It was exciting to meet someone from the tea world and to happily exchange some of our experiences together.
Our workshop was presented to a small group of participants. The idea was to introduce tea, its origins, and its traditional forms, while also highlighting its possibilities in a country where tea is not yet deeply rooted in everyday culture. In a context where healthy and non-alcoholic beverages are becoming increasingly important, the workshop emphasized the creative and professional opportunities that Japanese tea offers to chefs, baristas, and hospitality professionals today.
We also presented examples from Japan of tea professionals carrying out exciting and innovative projects, as well as different approaches to brewing and using tea that challenge the more conventional ideas many Spanish people may have about it.
During the workshop, we served a hot brew of hojicha from Uejima Sourokuen in Wazuka in a wine glass, followed by a refreshing cold-brewed tamaryokucha from Ikeda Chaen in Nagasaki. To finish, we wanted to offer something with a twist – surprising and out of the ordinary, while still reflecting the traditional flavours of Japanese tea.
For this final preparation, I had cold-brewed sakura in sparkling water in advance and, during the workshop, prepared a long ambient-temperature brew of gyokuro from Yoshida Meichaen in Uji. I then mixed the two together and served the result to the participants. The idea was to show that tea can have endless possibilities and applications. I hope everyone enjoyed it!
It was a pleasure to cross paths with friends, members of the tea community, and new faces alike!