Like most people in Central Europe, I grew up with coffee. From around the age of 14, my first drink of the day was a “pot of coffee,” as my East German mother affectionately calls it. Admittedly, at first it was more like “milk and sugar with a bit of coffee,” but I quickly got used to the adult beverage and learned to appreciate it.
Only a few years later, I came across tea culture purely by chance. I was visiting a school friend whose parents were a little "alternative", as we used to say in rural Austria. They were kinesiologists by profession, and didn't have a television in the house - but they did have many kilograms of exquisite tea from Japan, China and Taiwan. From them, I learned how hard water is, that the brewing time is down to the second, and that you can spend the same amount of money on really good tea as other people pay for red wine. I was fascinated by this way of drinking tea, but for a poor student, this pleasure seemed unattainable.
Many years later, when I was in my late twenties, my health was not particularly good. I suffered from chronic gastritis for several years and tried everything that conventional medicine had to offer. After the symptoms simply did not improve, I radically changed my diet and gave up my now beloved coffee for over a year. When I was really tired, I carefully treated myself to a cup of green tea - and lo and behold, my stomach did not rebel.
Shortly afterwards, my brother, a pilot by profession, gave me a Chinese Gong Fu tea set, consisting of many small cups, a Gaiwan and a cooling vessel. Curious, I watched a few YouTube videos and got myself some Oolong tea. I even attended a “real” demonstration of the Chinese tea ceremony once. I was fascinated by it, but somehow I couldn’t stop drinking this way of drinking tea in everyday life.
A few years ago, my friend Shinko suddenly started drinking matcha, and because he always does everything with enthusiasm, I was infected by his enthusiasm and tried it too. It wasn't my first cup of matcha in my life, but it tasted wonderful! Even though I couldn't imagine skipping my morning "pot of coffee" back then - it has now become a reality. Every day after breakfast, I enjoy a chawan full of foamy, velvety matcha, which keeps me gently awake all day long and conjures up a firework of aromas on my palate. When Shinko suggested opening an online shop for matcha, green tea and fine things from Japan, he didn't have to persuade me for long. It seemed like the perfect business idea for our "1000-hands house". Now, after long months of preparation, we can finally introduce you to our beloved tea. It's great that you are joining us on our tea journey!