PA Tea Festival - Japanese Tea Ceremony

Tucked in a quiet and peaceful section of the garden was an outdoor demonstration of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. We were fortunate to be able to welcome Sensei Todd from the Gessha Japanese Tea House out of York, PA. This is a private Japanese tea house that brings a touch of Japanese culture to southcentral Pennsylvania.

Both teacher and student were eager to share their knowledge about the Japanese tea ceremony, in the Urasenke tradition. Festival attendees were able to sample a personally hand whisked bowl of ceremonial grade matcha after being offered a traditional Japanese sweet. As the student prepared the matcha, the teacher looked on and gently guided him in the process. As stated in their mission, they are eager to promote awareness of this art through lectures and demonstrations.

 The two morning programs on Friday and Saturday featured a presentation by Sensei Todd, where he discussed matcha tea, health benefits, and the increasing popularity of this beverage. He shared about the different utensils required to make matcha, including the chawan (bowl) and the chasen (bamboo whisk). The host aims to serve the guest the most satisfying bowl of tea possible as they enjoy this 'once in a lifetime' moment. Nancy sat down during the festival and enjoyed a bowl of matcha, and it was indeed very satistying.