What is “Tea Ceremony”? The tea ceremony (sado or chado) is the ritualized preparation and serving of powdered green tea (matcha) in the presence of guests. A full-length formal tea ceremony involves a meal (chakaiseki) and two servings of tea (koicha and usucha) and lasts approximately four hours, during which the host engages his whole being in the creation of an occasion designed to bring aesthetic, intellectual, and physical enjoyment; and peace of mind to the guests.
History of Sado: The Tea Ceremony After being imported from China, green tea came to be drunk in monasteries and the mansions of the aristocracy and ruling warrior elite from about the 12th century in Japan. Tea was first drunk as a form of medicine, and was imbibed in the monasteries as a means of keeping awake during meditation. Early forms of the tea ceremony were largely occasions for the ostentatious display of precious utensils in grand halls, or noisy parties in which the participants guessed the origins of different teas.
Finally through the influence of Zen Buddhist masters of the 14th and 15th centuries, the procedures for the serving of tea in front of guests were developed into the spiritually uplifting form in which millions of students practice the tea ceremony in different schools today.
Just as Matcha is the heart of the tradition of Tea Ceremony, a bowl of Matcha has great long-term health benefits.
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