I’m pleased with the Long Jing it has a bright green taste with the classic dry roasted chestnut aroma and mouth-feel. Other teas will be tasted soon.
The arrival of other teas from Japan, that have been in high demand has allowed me to make deliveries to trade customers such as John Kennedy’s Teasmith in Spitalfields and Yo Sushi’s up-market kaiseki restaurant next to “the Gherkin”. I’ve eaten there once, in it’s very early days. It’s fine but seems to compromise kaiseki values for Western taste.
The highest levels of Kaiseki, which translates literally as “bosom stone” referring to the warmed stones introduced into the chest pockets of monks robes (“kai chu”) to ward off hunger pangs during longs hours of meditation, are twofold. Restaurant kaiseki is a multi-coursed event accompanied with fine sake, using the best of seasonal produce and is enormously expensive. There are regional styles which emphasise local and highly seasonal specialities such as bamboo shoots, matsutake mushrooms (one can pay, according to web sources, US$2,000 for a kilo. In the early 90s, I remember seeing individual specimens at 10,000 yen, then around £60. Very delicious and avidly awaited).
Kaiseki is also the term for the meal served during a chaji, the most formal and complete tea event of chanoyu. It is more austere than restaurant kaiseki, being more limited in its number of courses. What it shares is ultimate seasonality, great fresh ingredients and the whole range of preparation methods, raw, simmered, grilled etc.. Not forgetting a little symbolically warm sake too. Kampai!
Alex runs east teas in Borough Market, London, Friday 12-6p.m. and Saturday 9-4p.m. Email epoch@eastteas.com.
