El Chun Mee, es uno de los tes verdes más populares en China, su producción empezo en la provincia de Jiangxi. Es uno de los tés menos dulces y un poco más astringentes en la variedad de los verdes. Chun Mee significa “cejas preciosas” por la forma que tienen sus hojas que son enrolladas con gran cuidado y despues secadas sobre una plancha caliente. Este té produce una infusión color amarillo palido, es conocido por su dulzura y suavidad recordandonos a las ciruelas.

Y quieres hacer té? Y más aparte quedar bien con alguna lady? Facil! Usa lo que tienes a tu disposicion: tu ropa! Rompete la camisa y con ella haz un practico infusor, tipo bolsa de té, para que una bella chica disfrute de un buen té o tenga tranquilidad si esta en medio de una crisis emocional. Nota no usar el area de la axilas o ropa interior, no queda muy bien el té. Nota 2 si naufragaste y tu ropa se quedo en el barco, bad news!

Wabi-sabi (侘・寂, Wabi-sabi?) es un término estético japonés que describe a objetos o ambientes caracterizados por su simpleza rústica.

El wabi-sabi combina la atención a la composición del minimalismo, con la calidez de los objetos provenientes de la naturaleza.

Corriente japonesa estética y de comprensión del mundo basada en la fugacidad e impermanencia. Deriva de la afirmación budista de las Tres Características de la Existencia.

Según Leonard Koren, autor del libro Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers, se refiere a aquella belleza imperfecta, impermanente e incompleta. Algunas características de la estética wabi-sabi son la asimetría, aspereza, sencillez o ingenuidad, modestia e intimidad, y sugiere además un proceso natural.

El wabi-sabi ocupa la misma posición en la estética japonesa que en Occidente ocupan los ideales griegos de belleza y perfección.

Andrew Juniper afirma que si un objeto o expresión puede provocar en nosotros una sensación de serena melancolía y anhelo espiritual, entonces dicho objeto puede considerarse wabi-sabi. Richard R. Powell lo resume diciendo que ello (el wabi-sabi) cultiva todo lo que es auténtico reconociendo tres sencillas realidades: nada dura, nada está completado y nada es perfecto.

Las palabras wabi y sabi no se traducen fácilmente. Wabi inicialmente refería la soledad de vivir en la naturaleza, lejos de la sociedad, mientras que sabi significaba “frío”, “flaco” o “marchitado”. Hacia el siglo XIV estos términos comenzaron a cambiar, adquiriendo connotaciones más positivas. Wabi ahora connota simpleza rústica, frescura o quietud, siendo aplicable tanto a objetos naturales como hechos por el hombre, o elegancia subestimada. También se puede referir a peculiaridades o anomalías que surgen durante el proceso de construcción y dotan de elegancia y unicidad al objeto. Sabi es la belleza o serenidad que aparece con la edad, cuando la vida del objeto y su impermanencia se evidencian en su pátina y desgaste, o en cualquier arreglo visible.

Desde un punto de vista del diseño o ingeniería, wabi se interpretaría como la cualidad imperfecta de cualquier objeto, debida a inevitables limitaciones en el diseño y construcción. Así, sabi podría ser interpretado como el aspecto de imperfecta fiabilidad o limitada mortalidad de cualquier objeto; de aquí la conexión etimológica con la palabra japonesa sabi, oxidarse.

Ambos conceptos, wabi y sabi, sugieren sentimientos de desconsuelo y soledad. Según la perspectiva budista Mahāyāna, estas son características positivas, al representar la liberación del mundo material y la trascendencia hacia una vida más sencilla. La propia filosofía Mahayana, sin embargo, advierte de que la comprensión verdadera no puede alcanzarse mediante palabras o lenguajes, por lo que aceptar el wabi-sabi en términos no verbales sería el enfoque más adecuado.

Los conceptos de wabi y sabi son originariamente religiosos, pero su actual uso en japonés es bastante informal.

Tea is nought but this,
First you make the water boil,
Then prepare the tea.
Then you drink it properly.
That is all you need to know.
—Sen no Rikyu

Japanese history tells the story of how drinking tea evolved from a simple beverage into an elaborate ceremony, based on simplicity and power.  Zen monks developed a system for preparing, serving and consuming tea. Sen no Rikkyu (1522-91), a famous tea master, perfected the wabi  aesthetics, incorporating zen philosophy.

Wabi style  created and asthetic based on tranquility, harmony, respect and simplicity. Those elements are based on the zen’s philosophy in minimalism, poverty and beauty. Sen no Rikyu believed superfluous utensils, tools and decorations distracted for the tea practice. Visually, his tea room displayed the fewest utensils and decorations. Using simple utensils, instead of expensive Chinese wares, showed humility and equality to his guests. He always followed these seven rules:

1.     Make a satisfying bowl of tea.

2.     Lay the charcoal so that the water boils efficiently.

3.     Provide the sense of warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer.

4.     Arrange the flowers as though they were in the field.

5.     Be ready ahead of time.

6.     Be prepared in a case it should rain.

7.     Act with utmost consideration toward your guests.

Sen no Rikyu’s brief instructions simplifies the art and tradition around preparing, serving and consuming tea. He believed the foundation of the tea ceremony spread throughout all aspects of life, but it takes great effort to master the simplicity. Whisking powdered tea in a bowl is part of a meditation, that leads to enlightenment. The wabi aesthetic enables you to concentrate on making and enjoying a cup of tea.

Originally, the wabi style tea ceremony was expected to act as a social leveler during the warring era in Japan. Sen no Rikyu trained two powerful feudal lords in the art of wabistyle tea ceremony.During this time period, feudal lords held elaborate tea gatherings to broker peace treaties and display political power. Unsurprisingly, this power manifestation tricled down to lower classes.l

Japanese merchants enjoyed tea as a part of every day life. They liked to combine a simple tea ceremony and negotiations. Using elements of wabi style, merchants presented an amenable social framework for confidential dialogue.

A tea ceremony provided a space to display the beauty of tea, encourage camaraderie, and share confidences. The Japanese have embraced this simplicity for over four centuries. Sen Rikyu’s legacy lives on in the Uresenke schools.

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Chocolate goes well with many things – like red wine, and yes, even coffee. But tea is sometimes a forgotten complement when it comes to chocolate. Tea with chocolate is something truly exceptional and not often talked about. Taking a moment to sit down with a cup of tea only gets better with a small piece of good chocolate nearby. When it comes to simple things that we can do everyday that are full of pleasure – chocolate and tea is one of the greatest imaginable. A bite of chocolate and a sip of hot tea is all it takes to create a warm, rich and flavorful sensation in your mouth. It’s a flavor combination that cannot be matched by any other food pairing. And yet, it is so often overlooked despite it’s accessibility. 

Combining tea and something sweet is a fairly common thing to do. Cakes, cookies, or baked goods in general easily fit the bill. But chocolate is category by itself. Rich, creamy milk chocolate fortifies that cup of tea into being more than it is alone. It could even be argued that drinking tea while eating chocolate gives you all the nourishment you need to start your day. Add a little milk to your tea and the combination gives you the makings of a morning meal. 

Eating chocolate everyday will make me fat.

No. Eating chocolate won’t make you fat, eating too much food will make you fat. This is one of those, everything in moderation things. A few bites of chocolate as you down a cup of tea certainly won’t hurt you. In fact, it probably does more for your well-being and state of mind than reading the morning newspaper. It’s all part of having a generally active and healthy lifestyle. 

Is tea and chocolate really that good?

Yes. Especially when you go through the effort to have some really good chocolate. The photos feature exclusively Leonidas chocolates, some of which we purchased and some which were graciously sent to us. Chocolates of this quality can make a normally humdrum tea into something really special. They can even make an ordinary tea taste better. It’s easy to get your hands on some chocolate at the grocery store, but high-quality chocolates like these are well worth the money you might pay to get. 

Even if you can’t get really good chocolate, there are plenty of simple ways to get your chocolate fix. A few M&M candies, or simply break a small piece off a favorite chocolate bar will often do.  Chocolate chip cookies might help, but we aren’t talking about baked goods here. We are talking about pairing your teacup with pure, rich, unadulterated chocolates.