12 New Teas in Stores!

Ten herbal teas and two new Japanese green teas with environmentally sensitive packaging join our expanding retail collection! Ten naturally caffeine-free, organic herbal blends comprise the new Herbal Retail Collection, each a unique combination of natural botanicals, spices and fruits blended for both flavor and effect. The full line includes award-winning Cinnamon Plum, Tangerine Ginger, Chamomile Medley, Bergamot Sage, Hibiscus Berry, Mystic Mint, White Ginseng Detox, Serene Dream, Turmeric Ginger, and Unity. 

Rishi Tea founder, Joshua shares “Our new Herbal teas are inspired by ancient herbal beverages and our constant travel and study of food cultures around the world. We’ve fused traditional remedies with epicurean creativity, premium ingredients and original blending techniques to offer distinctive flavors not available elsewhere."

Genmai Matcha and Matcha Super Green are the newest additions to Rishi’s Green Tea Line. Both teas are blended with Matcha, a powdered green tea known to promote creativity, focus and energy.

“We’ve worked on developing an organic Genmai Matcha for more than five years and couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Matcha Super Green is one of our most popular new teas. We are delighted to add these to our retail packaged line and expect they are really going to resonate. We see a growing interest in Japanese green tea in the North American market, and no signs of it abating,” explains Ben, co-owner of Rishi Tea.

Find these new teas and more of your favorite Rishi teas at Whole Foods Market nationwide and numerous health, specialty and natural food retailers. Can't find these teas at your neighborhood store? Ask them to place an order with our Wholesale Department!

Video: Joshua & Tea Mavericks of America

Sencha-do Ceremony at World Tea Expo

Rishi Tea invites you to a very special Japanese tea ceremony, known as Sencha-do, taking place June 11^th – June 13^th at the 2010 World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. Mr. Yoshikura, a master of Sencha-do from the Obaku Kofu Ryu established in 1959, will lead the ceremonies and demonstrate the way of four green teas including Gyokuro (Secret Garden), cold-brew Sencha, hot-brew Sencha and Bancha. The sessions take place daily at 11:45am, 2pm and 3:30pm in Booth # 401 and are open to all on a first come, first served basis. 

Cha No Yu, the Japanese tea ceremony using Matcha powdered green tea is known to many, but few outside of Japan are familiar with the ceremony for loose leaf tea called Sencha-do.

Sencha-do or “the way of Sencha,” became widespread in Japan during the 19th Century. Sencha-do became a non-political and less formal means for Japanese intelligentsia to rebel against the hierarchy and politics surrounding "Cha No Yu" powdered tea ceremony of the era. Sencha-do is inspired by the reclusive ancient Chinese tea sages and intellectuals that used tea as a social and more spiritual way to enjoy loose leaf tea to get away from the daily grind and enjoy life.

As with Chinese Gong Fu Cha, there are specific brewing methods and etiquette for Sencha-do ceremony, which include unique teaware and distinct pouring methods. Sencha-do schools and tea instructors practice unique brewing techniques and tea concepts specific to Sencha, Gyokuro and other Japanese green tea.  Tea lovers and baristas can learn the brewing techniques that are unique to loose leaf Sencha and green teas by taking part in Rishi Tea’s Sencha-do Ceremony.

In addition to the scheduled Sencha-do classes, Joshua Kaiser, along with visiting tea experts, will lead focused tastings of 2010 Fresh Crop Teas from Japan, Taiwan, China, etc. These tastings will be held at various times throughout the weekend in Booth # 401. Guests are welcome to join and share with us some of this year’s most exciting new teas, fresh from origin!

Lastly, join Joshua for a presentation on the foundation and strong points of Rishi Tea and its unique organic supply chain, taking place Saturday, June 12^th at 12:30pm on the show floor of the World Tea Expo in the Vendor Presentation Theater.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sencha Sakura in our cups warms our hearts

The skies outside are grey, the weather is chilly but the Sencha Sakura in our cups makes our hearts warm and tells us spring is here. Winters in Milwaukee can drag on and put a damper on the spirit. But the arrival of spring marks the awakening of the dormant state both we and nature experience.

Here in Milwaukee, our flowers appear later than they do in Japan, so at Rishi Tea we mark this joyous occasion with the launch of our beloved Sencha Sakura. Fukamushi sencha offers a deep rich infusion of Japanese tea filled with L-Theanine, our aid in increasing those dormant alpha brain waves. This tea is unique as it undergoes so much more than the addition of flavors or oils. This tea is scented with real cherry flowers and cured leaves of cherry trees. The flavor that the blossoms and leaves impart are what help transcend you to the experience of sitting under a cherry tree inhaling its wonderful aroma and essence of spring.

Sencha Sakura: warming to the heart, soothing to the soul and delicious on the palate.

Gyokuro Yame

Joshua is the guest speaker for Breville's Food Thinkers blog. This is his second post for them, this month's feature is Gyokuro Yame.

It’s so cold and depressing. When is winter going to end? I spend a great deal of my time in the sub-tropical heat of Southeast Asia. When I come back to my frozen homeland (Mid-Western, USA) this time of year, I often find myself complaining like this. When I feel that down and blasé mood creeping up on me, I call upon the uplifting powers of GyoKuro.

This green tea called GyoKuro (Precious Jade Dew) is amazing! Not only does it have a super kick like espresso, its energy lasts longer and does not lead to a caffeine crash.

In Japan, Gyokuro is regarded as a natural anti-depressant due to its high content of the amino acid, L-theanine, which only exists in tealeaves. Amongst all the types of tea, Matcha and GyoKuro have the most L-theanine. It is this cold and dreary time of year when I consume the most Matcha and GyoKuro.

Now, I’ve been traveling around Asia for the past 14 years and I am a strong adherent to the Taoist philosophy of Yin & Yangand the concept of seasonal food. Many like minds would claim that green tea is too Yin or cooling for this time of year and that one should be drinking Pu-erh, black tea or heavier fermented and roasted oolong teas that are more warm and potent in property (Yang). I totally agree with this theory but I argue that Gyokuro is an unusual green tea that is suited to this cold weather season and one should not avoid Gyokuro during the winter, rather embrace it. Here’s why:

#1 Scientists claim that a lack of sun and very cold weather is naturally depressing. The L-theanine in Gyokuro is a natural anti-depressant and a neural-stimulator. Its consumption leads to the production of increased Alpha Brain waves. Of the 5 brain waves, alpha brain waves trigger endorphins (energetic happy vibes) and dopamine (chill out vibes). Coupled with the caffeine in Gyokuro, the L-theanine stimulated alpha brainwaves lead to a unique, long lived uplifted mental state that one can describe as a calm state of alert and focus kind of like how a Kung Fu master must feel or what Rishi-ites and the ancient Tang Dynasty poets refer to as “Tea Drunk”.

#2 Gyokuro is not all that cold (Yin) as a green tea. Gyokuro tea bushes are shaded during cultivation. This shading blocks the production of catechin, which is the major cooling property in green tea and it is this shading that enhances the yield of L-theanine in Gyokuro. The shading produces a unique green tea that is low in cooling catechin but rich in caffeine and uplifting L-theanine.


Joshua with young Goko varietal bushes destined for future Gyokuro.

As a professional tea taster and seasonal food lover, I drink green tea during its fresh harvest season. Most green teas have a short shelf life and after December of each year they start to show their age quite dramatically. Contrary to the rule of green tea, Gyokuro is the one green tea that must, by tradition, be matured and aged a bit before consumption. Real Gyokuro is harvested in June, aged until late October and released in November. Gyokuro is at its best 6-9 months after harvest. I would say February is a great time to enjoy Gyokuro for its flavor and its complimentary seasonal benefit.