Make it Kunitaro time

Teleworking means that I stay home most of the week. So to calm the nerves after a hard day’s work, I relax in the kitchen of all places and have created a sort of ritual for making tea for myself.

You see, the guide to taking back control in your life is to make a list of things to do in order to create something that you like. For me, that is tea. And for the most part, before the chaos of the world sets down again, I find a sliver of peace which I intend to hold on for dear life!

With that in mind, I have gotten to the habit of drinking some Kunitaro tea from Shizuoka. I got this one in Life Supermarket, but I am sure you can find it wherever.

I have gotten the taste buds for the strong stuff so I look for the green package with the red label that says 味が濃い on it. I feel that the stronger the tea is, the better the aroma comes up, which is half of what I am looking for when I drink tea in the first place. And Kunitaro does not disappoint there.

I start by measuring about a tablespoon of the stuff into the little green tea pot that I found in the cupboard. I am not sure if I am allowed to use it or if it’s appropriate to use in this situation, but I will not be stopped. It has a strainer on the inside, meaning that it’s the best vessel I have in my kitchen for this particular job.

Next, I heat the water to about boiling. It depends how I do it, but since recently my electric kettle has burned out or something and I am afraid of using it and should probably throw it out, I am using a pot on the stove like some farmer. Which honestly is not that bad. I just means I have a harder time pouring into the tea pot. I use chopsticks to guide the water into the container. I have had more than one disastrous pours in my life. But that does not stop me from trying!

After letting it stew for maybe two or three minutes, depending on how adventurous I am feeling, I pour myself the first cup of tea. And here comes the point of contention -- how often do you put the water back into the tea for a second or third (or more?) brew? I don’t mind reusing the same leaves for a few times. Sure, it starts to taste a bit tart or bitter, but that outweighs the laziness I feel every time I should make another pot.

For taste, if you are not in for the fainter teas, this one is pretty good. And if you enjoy the simple aroma of green teas, you will have a hard time finding a better one. Or maybe I just have associated it with calm feelings. Regardless, it comes with high praise.

This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.