We had the honour to be featured in the monthly Tea Magazine called "Cha no Ma" 茶の間, literally meaning "Tea Room or Tea Space" but translated as "Living Room" because tea is supposed to be omnipresent in Japanese houses (at least it was).
Translation of the original article in Japanese below:
The objective is to protect the tea and innovate at the same time.
MANDARACHA (meaning MANDALA TEA) is born in 2020 in the Miyagawa-cho area, an old district of Kyoto on the banks of the Kamo River, where the atmosphere of old Kyoto remains strong.
In addition to enjoying teas from all over Japan coming mostly from a single variety of tea leaves by a single farm, workshops are also held to learn more about tea.
The owner Alexandre Nicolau is a chemist with ten-year history of innovation at a major Japanese beverage company. He was interested in Japan when he was a student, and between two jobs in his career, he went to Japan using a working holiday program. He was absorbed in the wonderfulness of Japanese tea, and he enjoyed it for a long time as a hobby for 20 years.
What attracted me strongly was the story of making Japanese tea. There are numerous types of teas in the world but the technique of steaming tea leaves inherited from China is now a specificity to Japan. In addition, “there are various manufacturing methods in each production area in Japan, and I was captivated by this diversity. "
Mr. Nicolau regularly visits production areas and listens carefully to the stories of the producers: how tea is grown, the local history of the production area and the story of each tea leaf. He likes to share the origin and tea leaves with the customers who come to the store. “I love to talk about it to the point I cannot stop"
Because Mr. Nicolau has a belief: “Tea leaves are certainly more expensive and not as convenient as bottled tea. But once you understand the quality and realize fresh tea can be made easily, the price difference is marginal”.
“My goal is not to sell tea, but to protect the tea spirit and to create artisanal value. I am not a tea master, but I define myself as an innovator. From now on, I would like to take on the challenge of creating new ideas and new value for Japanese tea for ultimately connecting it to the world."
Thank you to Okada-san and her team, we are very grateful for the opportunity.
For subscribing to the Magazine "Cha no Ma" (in Japanese), please visit this page: http://5106.jp/#about
