Review: Ocha & Co. Organic Japanese Fukamushi Sencha

It's been quite cold in NYC lately, and I've mostly been sipping on roasted, darker teas. But this blustery weather also has me craving something deeply vegetal, fresh, and sweet. Cue this beautiful Fukamushi Sencha from Ocha & Co., which entered my life at just the right time.

Ocha & Co. is an online business focusing on selling the freshest Japanese tea possible. Based in Japan, the company procures their teas on a weekly basis so customers from around the world will receive their teas shortly after they've been processed. The company recently reached out to me to try a few samples, and I decided to start with the Fukamushi Sencha as this is also part of a holiday giveaway we are hosting together (be sure to check it out!).

Japanese green teas can be tricky for me- sometimes they upset my stomach, and if they aren't prepared correctly (which happens much too often in restaurants), they can be bitter and almost undrinkable. But when it's prepared carefully, sencha can be a symphony of greenness (is that a thing? Well, it is now).

This is a 'deep steam' green tea, which is a little bit different from a typical sencha. From Ocha & Co.'s website:

The steaming process is twice as long as usual, breaks down the structure of the leaf, releasing valuable healthy nutrients and bioactives such as beta-carotene and Vitamin E into the brew.

The dry leaves are a rich, deep green. The flat, needle-like leaves are soft and delicate. The scent of these leaves are certain to help cure the wintertime blues. Sweet fresh green peas, tender baby spinach, and spring grass after a soaking rain.

The brewed tea is a vibrant green, with lots of little dark green bits. The liquor tastes as deeply steamed as the name implies. It tastes as if I took the freshest baby spinach I could find and steamed it until it was thick and concentrated. Not a crispy leaf to be found, just lush, soothing greenness (a symphony of it, shall we say?). There is a savory hint to the brew, as if I added a dash of soy sauce to the greens.

I prepared this tea in a glass teapot outfitted with a very fine mesh strainer, similar to a kyusu teapot. This tea needs short steeps, and water no hotter than 185° (I prefer using closer to 170°). You can certainly use a gaiwan, but I'd recommend pouring through a strainer if you don't want to have bits of broken leaf in the brew. This is a good tea for the morning or early afternoon; it's mild in flavor but complex.

If you are intrigued by this tea, please be sure to enter the giveaway I'm hosting with Ocha & Co.! You can win a 100g packet of this tea, as well as a beautiful Tokonameyaki teapot. Thank you to Ocha & Co. for this tea, I greatly enjoyed it. To learn more about this tea, please visit the Ocha & Co. website.

Tea Recipe: Chocolate Masala Chai With Turmeric

The past few weeks have been unusually warm and humid here in NYC, but I know the chilly weather is creeping in. The wish for fall weather has left me craving warm and comforting sips.  The other day I wanted something chocolatey and spicy, and decided to take my favorite masala chai and give it a few tweaks. I was looking for something tasty but also a little different. I decided to add unsweetened cocoa powder, and on a whim, a wedge of fresh turmeric. I was hoping that the earthy turmeric would play well with the chocolate and spices. It did! The other unexpected ingredient I added is salt. I like to add a pinch of salt whenever I'm baking with chocolate so I thought I'd give it a try here too. I don't know the chemistry behind it, but it really enhances the flavor. It does the same in this recipe! Just a small pinch of salt will do. Since this worked so well, I decided to share the recipe with everyone. I love cooking and baking but I don't share many recipes. Let's change that.

I recommend using fresh ginger and turmeric for this recipe, it makes a huge difference. But you can use dried versions if you'd prefer. It's not always easy to find fresh turmeric! I was really happy with how this recipe turned out. It was so good that my kids greedily slurped up every bit that I gave them, and asked for more. Even my husband who isn't a fan of sweets was impressed with the flavor. Of course, I also saved a generous mug for myself.

Tea Happiness' Homemade Chocolate Masala Chai

Serves: about 2 Time: about 12 minutes

1 1/2 cups whole milk (any milk of choice will do, but I prefer cow's, almond, or coconut)

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp. loose black tea (or 2-3 tea bags)

6 cardamom pods

1 small cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, or 1/2 tsp dried

1/2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, or 1/4 tsp dried

2-3 tbsp. granulated sugar (or to taste)

pinch of salt

Make the tea: In a small saucepan heat the milk and water slowly over low heat until it starts to get warm and slightly bubbly around the edges. Don't do this over high heat, or the liquid will erupt onto the stovetop! Once warm, whisk in the cocoa powder until combined. Then add the tea, spices (I like to crack open the cardamom pods for more flavor), ginger, and turmeric. Let everything lightly simmer (remember, that milk can bubble over!) for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add 2 tbsp of sugar and the pinch of salt. Stir gently until dissolved. Taste, and add more sugar if desired. I like to start with less, and then add more if necessary. Once you have enough sugar stirred in, strain into mugs and sip happily!

Alterations: If you'd like to eliminate the tea to serve it to kids, you can use rooibos, or simply leave the tea out altogether. You can always add a little more cocoa if that's the case. You can also add other flavors to the tea as well, vanilla works nicely.

I'll definitely be making this treat on gray afternoons, and after snowy adventures. Or on warm fall days when I'm wishing it was a bit cooler outside. My kids have already requested this tea for this weekend! I'd love to know what twists you make on masala chai, feel free to share with me in the comments.