Tag Archives: MATCHA TEA

TEA TRAVELS

Matcha At Lupicia Teas Paris, France

Leave a comment

While tea traveling in Paris, Victoria Goods and Trading Company’s goal was to locate tea rooms that specialized in favorite teas of the world.  We discovered Lupicia, which has a sleek and modern tea room near the medieval cathedral of Saint Germain Des Pres in Paris in the 6th arrondissement. Lupicia is based out of Japan and has over more than 400 teas and many tasting rooms around the world. 

Its just a few stores away from Les Deux Magots, which was the hangout of legend and my hero,  Ernest Hemingway. When I think of who I want to become as a writer, it’s Mr. Hemingway, who was dedicated to his art and lived a life of storytelling and adventure.   The two are not related, but I loved that they were practically next door to each other and found it quite inspirational.   I had just been to Musee D’ Orsay to see the Berthe Morisot exhibition and was taking the long back to the Luxembourg Gardens.  It was warm, since the last days of summer continued to linger and the skies this afternoon were clear, blue and not a cloud in sight.   I was on foot, because when you are in Paris, it’s fabulous experience to walk and be able to soak in the beauty of the architecture and art around every corner. Then, suddenly,  there appeared like an emerald green jewel, Lupicia Teas.  Visions of refreshing Matcha popped into my head and I headed in to see the tea room and hopefully refresh myself with some delicious Matcha.  

For those of you who are not familiar with Matcha, it’s origins are Japan and is a traditional Japanese drink that is hundreds of years old.  The tea is grown in  shade, which results in a sweet tea leaf. The leaves are ground with a stone mill into a fine powder, which is stored in powder form, until it is ready to be prepared for drinking.  Matcha is currently taking world tea drinkers by storm because when it’s ingested you  absorb vitamins, minerals, catechin, theanine and many other nutrients.   Matcha powdered green tea has 137 times more antioxidants than regularly brewed green tea. Matcha is calming, relaxing, boosts metabolism, detoxifies and enhances mood and concentration. 

As I entered the tearoom, I immediately knew I had made the right decision.  The atmosphere was calming and cool. The showroom was bright, with a well designed lay out for showcasing cutting edge tea making supplies and the exquisite teas that Lupicia sources from around the world.  

I was greeted by a friendly, attractive staff that was multilingual.   I had noticed this visit to Paris, that people who worked in the shops, hotel and and transportation, quickly picked up on my accent offered to speak in my language. They were extremely accommodating about it and it was very nice to have that option.  I was seated in the tearoom which was designed to provide comfort and not distract from the tea and food.  I ordered a a Matcha Satsuma and the patisserie of the day , Natsu Matsuri.  A mouth watering concoction consisting of fine layers of buttery sponge cake layered with fresh cream and strawberry gelee. 

The Matcha was sweet, cooling and refreshing with a slight bitter under taste.  It was a beautiful hue of dark green and the aroma was vibrant.  The accompanying dessert was exquisite and treat to the palette.  Sweet, light and gluten free, it paired quite well with Matcha. 

After taking tea,  I took a tour around the showroom.  There was a great selection of teas and supplies for tea making and 

the hosts were really helpful. There was a beautiful array of tea pots and devices from around the world for making tea. It was all beautifully designed in a contemporary setting.  

By the time I left Lupicia, I felt completely refreshed and excited with a host of new knowledge about teas of the world.  I would highly recommend stopping in while in Paris, it’s a  fresh alternative to the traditional sights of Paris, but at that same time compliments the experience so well.  

TEA TRAVELS

Matcha Me

Leave a comment

Photo Jason Leung on Unsplash

 

 

 

It’s the color of forests, it tastes of plants and fresh air. When it hits your veins a sense of well-being that’s almost indescribable infuses your existence. I can’t remember where I was exactly, the first time I had Matcha Tea. I have a vague memory of being  with my son who had just gotten off work  from his barista job at Starbucks.   Maybe we were on the way to the movies and decided to go through the drive through. He ordered a Matcha. 

I asked for a taste and that was the beginning of a journey to experience Matcha in as many forms as possible.  I’m not the only one, the obsession seems to be taking over.  There are tea rooms everywhere now. In SoCal we started with traditional English style tea rooms. Lots of chintz, hats and lovely floral porcelain tea cups.  This has morphed into modern, bright  tea rooms with a health vibe where amazing creative menus are filled with Matcha, Boba and Salt Cream teas. You can also put Matcha in your ice cream, pastries and cakes and also cook savory dishes with it if you so desire. 

Meeting Matcha wasn’t a  dramatic event. Just a delicious surprise. It was like meeting a person that you get along with instantaneously and you always want them around from that day forward.

Matcha isn’t new, it’s an ancient tea. It’s origins are rooted in Japan somewhere between 1100 and 1200 AD. Since it’s discovery it’s been treasured for it’s health benefits. What makes Matcha so healthy?  Well, it’s the very definition of green. The plant leaves are grown in the shade, which slows the plant’s growth.  This results in increased production of theanine, which is reported to work on serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain and helps your body to manage stress.  Growing the plants in the shade also results in higher levels of chlorophyll which has been shown to reduce the risk of disease, detoxify the liver and speed healing.

Once the tea leaves are harvested, they are ground slowly to preserve the flavor of the tea. The best Matcha has a deep, sweet flavor.  There are three grades; Ceremonial, premium and culinary.  Most of all, it’s just delicious and the sense of well-being that hits your system is amazing and joyful.

I’ve had some interesting Matcha of late on my Tea Travels. I was in Los Angeles, just off Melrose Boulevard and I stepped into ALFRED’S TEA ROOM to sample their wares.  ALFRED’S is located on Melrose Place; the part of Melrose that is less than funky, but filled with gorgeous creative higher end boutiques. ALFRED’S is tiny and it’s all pink and it’s quite lovely. The hostess suggested their Coconut Matcha which comes in a real coconut. It’s cold, refreshing and I literally had a high, but relaxing,  energy level for the rest of the day.  It’s fun to sit at the petite counter and watch the fashionistas strutting and take in the beautiful art work that adorns the walls.  

 

More recently, I stopped in a DING Worldwide Teas near University of California, Riverside, in my home of homes, The Inland Empire. DING TEA is known for having harnessed the essence of nature and it’s tea is  grown in high altitude tea gardens in Taiwan.   It was a rainy day and packed full of students.  The host was extremely friendly and helpful.

I had a Red Bean Matcha Latte.  Again it was delicious and energizing.  It’s fun to grab a seat at the student tables and listen to the gossip in just about every language of the world.  

I think that Matcha is a great tea for travelers and you can get prepackaged single servings that you can easily mix into a water tumbler.   It’s relaxing, refreshing and keeps your happy vibe rolling while out and about.  

With that sweet sentiment, I’m sending you on your Tea Travels with this beautiful pic of SoCal’s Inland Empire Apoppylypse.  Remember to head over to Victoriagoodsandtradingcompany.com to purchase your ownf lovely Matcha Making Set and your own personal set of Stainless Steel Save The Sea Turtles Straws-great for drinking Matcha. We will be traveling soon to Paris for more Tea Travels and will have inspired posts galore about Tea Travels and Tea discoveries in Paris.