#kyusu

started reading the last goddess (or žítková goddesses) by kateřina tučková today. last week, i visited the area where the story takes place, although only for a day. still, it has helped me a lot with picturing and imagining the written scenes. i saw the village žítková only from a distance, but we spent a night at starý hrozenkov, another village that often gets mentioned in the story. how nice! and what tea did i pick today? well, the sample that came with my order yesterday - shincha nakahata zairai / yabukita asamushi 2026!! i was thinking about buying this one too, but it was quite expensive aand i also prefered the description of the other shincha that the store offered. this one was nice, im glad i got to taste it. the flavor stayed strong for a while. though, i woud prefer it a little less sour and floral. i prefer my shincha a little sweeter!

also, my dog was accompanying me for the most time! hes so fun to be around. i gave him strawberries too, since he loves fruits and vegetables. i may give him raspberries, blueberries or a watermelon tomorrow, but only if i decide not to go on the planned trip to prague zoo (im really excited to see the new bird species that went on show recently).

Kyûsu (急須, small teapot) and chôshi (銚子, sake decanter​) collection, put together by Edo-lover Nadeshico Rin. They based this handy chart on designs seen in shunga (春画, erotic woodblock prints).

Kyoto Fog with Hojicha Dark Roast 🌫️

💡 Swap out the earl grey tea in a London Fog with roasted green tea to create a warm and toasty Kyoto Fog.

📝 Recipe:

Steep 8 g of Hojicha Dark Roast in 180 ml of 80°C (175°F) filtered water for a full minute.

Into a mug, pour the hojicha and 1 tsp of vanilla syrup (or to taste).

Slowly pour 60 ml steamed or frothed milk over the hojicha.

Optional: sprinkle Hojicha Powder on top.

Nabeshima celadon Dobin-teapot （鍋島青磁土瓶）

I acquired this Nabeshima celadon teapot about two weeks ago, during New Year's Day this year.

In Japan, a "Kyusu" teapot is used to brew tea. A Kyusu-teapot is suitable for enjoying small amounts of high-quality tea, for example Gyokuro, at a lukewarm temperature. The famous production areas are Tokoname in Japan and Yixing in China. However, a Kyusu-teapot has a small capacity.

My drinking style is to gulp down large amounts of scalding hot tea. This new teapot, Nabeshima celadon is ideal for that way of drinking. This shape is called a "Dobin" in Japan.

Dobin-teapot: Nabeshima celadon (capacity --900cc), handle (tin wire/braided)

Cup: Old Imari, soba choko, white porcelain, thinly made, mid-Edo period

- Organic Oolong (Osada Tea)

- Shizuoka Oolong Tea Aoi (Japanese Green Tea Farm)

- Snowing Mountain Kanayamidori black tea (Chiyonoen Tea Farm)

Of the three, I liked the black tea best. Green oolongs tend to be a bit too astringent for my liking and these are no exception. However, the black tea was smooth with a slight fruity aftertaste. A perfect ending tea for the night 😊