Japanese New Year Tea Ceremony

 by Kazu
At the biginning of each year, we Japanese have special tea ceremony. Of course, green tea is "the must ". Diffferent from usual green tea ceremony, another "must" should be required. "Corolla rice cake" made from ricecake stuffed with white soy bean paste and a stick burdock should be on the tray. This kind of ricecake should be served for only one week at the biginning of the year.
   It is the year of the dragon.  So we should taste the green tea with the name derived from dragon as the first cup of  the year.



Alcohol is not prohibited in tea ceremony. It depends on the host of each tea ceremony.
Manner, etiquette and every behavior may be considered as the most important thing for novices. But the real priority is to show the hospitality with both tangible and intangible way and to provide real satisfaction to the guests.
  After enjoying green tea enough, sometimes meals are served. Today we have Japanese buckwheat noodle with chicken soup topped with baby leek.
Tempura such as fried shrimp,  egg plant,  labiate leaf with sweet soy sauce are the good friend of this noodle soup as a lunch set.
  Below is spicy buckwheat noodle soup like "Tom Yam Gai Soup". Those meals are provided by a wonerful restaurant "KOHARE" in BISSE Building in Sapporo City. Skewered grilled chicken is the best choice in this restaurant that is headquartered in Bibai City,Sorachi sub-prefectural area, Hokkaido. I hope this year will treat us all kindly and  be the year of quantum leap. God bless us!