The owner, Shiuwen Tai, is the local expert on Taiwanese Oolong and also carries a variety of Taiwan, China, and Japan teas; as well as fine tea ware. It really is a tea oasis in the heart of Seattle's Ballard neighborhood (which is where I grew up - her son goes to the same elementary as I did!)
The response from this great group of tea folks was good, and there has been continued emend for more classes. So, I'm doing two more classes on Sunday, September 27th. Space is limited, so contact Shiuwen at Floating Leaves to reserve a spot, www.floatingleaves.com, 206-276-9542.
Our last classes allowed tasting of 10 different teas, a discussion on tea ware, and a special treat of wagashi (seasonal, handmade Japanese sweets) by Tokara, a Seattle Japanese sweet shop that is just one of a handful of professional wagashi shops outside of Japan, www.tokaragashi.com. The sweets were in the theme of Obon, the time of remembering ancestors, which occurs in August. It also tied in the reference to those remembered in the great tsunami of 2011.
Our next classes will offer a wide variety of teas and sweets by Tokara.
Here are some images of teas and sweets enjoyed at the August classes. Enjoy!
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| Wagashi named "Uzumaki" (whirlpool) by Tokara.) Sweet plate and Tea Bowl by George Gledhill. |
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| Charaku Gokase Organic Tamaryokucha, Miyazaki. Tokoname Tea Pot, Mashiko Katakuchi (spouted bowl,) Vintage tasting cups from Igeta Tea Shop, Sendai. |
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| Charaku Premium Organic Matcha, Vintage Soma-yaki Sugar Bowl used as Chaire (Tea Canister,) Fukushima. |
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| Charaku Asahina Karigane (stems of Gyokuro,) Shizuoka. Tokoname Tea Pot, Thai Porcelain tasting cup. |
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| Wagashi called "Great Wave" by Tokara. Sweet plate by Mika Sullivan, Tea Bowl by Sachiko Furuya. |
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