JING Tea training at aqua kyoto
Posted on January 22, 2016
To coincide with the launch of our new tea-infused menu at aqua kyoto, JING tea experts Kat and Tamara led a training session for the aqua kyoto team. The training session started with Kat explaining that the difference between white, green and black teas is where the tea leaves are picked from as there is a variety in both tea bushes and how you process the leaves. Kat presented two plates of tea leaves to show the selection of teas that we will be offering guests.
The first tea we tried was Darjeeling 1st Flush, clean, crisp and light with a rounded, satisfying finish. The sharpness of the tea marries the rich flavours of the Sencha tea asparagus tempura, wasabi sauce perfectly. Jade Sword, a green tea was the second tea we tasted; smooth but full flavoured with hints of grassy textures, which accentuated the umani flavours in the matcha tea maki, compressed cucumber, spicy tuna and green tea caviar.
The only white tea available on the menu is White Peony, an extremely delicate and delightfully refreshing tea which was extremely popular with the team. The well rounded notes of white peony that have a vegetal sweetness, is an ideal light partner to the bold flavours of the Hojicha braised octopus, mizuna salad, tensu yuzu foam.
Moving onto the tea pairings with the main courses options, we started by trying an exceptional black tea Nilgiri Forest. This tea combines fragrant notes of wild grasses, apple and barley, providing a refreshing contrast to the warming dish of salmon & organic genmaicha nabe with green tea soba and winter vegetables; ideal for colder days. Keemun Gong Fu, is a clear and precise tea. Kat explained that floral black teas work extremely well with red meats due to their dark fruity poise and that is why they chose Keenum to complement Paul’s Robata Wagyu bavette, braised Kobe oolomng tea daikon, chestnut teriyaki.
The sixth tea we sampled was the green tea, Huiming Spring; hand-picked in early April in Jingning. Its bright infusion, beautifully creamy texture and sweet pea and asparagus flavours encapsulate the best of spring green tea. The freshness of the tea pairs impeccably with the warming tones and textures of mugicha tea infused spicy Japanese vegetable Gohan.
The final tea we tried was the vibrant green Matcha Tea. The tea leaves are grounded down to a fine powder to preserve the antioxidants which the tea is renowned for. Kat demonstrated the tea ceremony element of serving this tea, by putting two spoonful’s of matcha powder into a bowl, adding cold water and whisking until all the lumps were flattened out, topping with a hot water and whisking until smooth. The matcha tea has been paired with our floral dessert of Bergamot tea panna cotta ‘forest floor’ with green tea crumble, violent ice cream. Adding an element of traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the Matcha Tea will be whisked by our team at the diners’ table.
The tea training session was a great success and our team have expanded their knowledgeof different tea delicacies and how to serve and make the perfect cup of tea.
To book your table at aqua kyoto for the Tea-Infused menu, click here to visit the About Us page. When booking online please ensure you quote ‘tea menu’.