Shincha is translated as “new harvested tea”. Traditionally, the first harvest is started on the 88th night from the first day of spring. It is recommended to taste shincha within 1 month to 2 months after the harvest to have its unique taste of freshness.

Having a cup of shincha reminds many Japanese of the arrival of spring. As Beaujolais nouveau does to French in autumn?

To celebrate the arrival of late spring / summer in Montreal (finally!), a shincha tasting will take a place at Fous Desserts (809 Laurier Est) on 7th June, Saturday from 14:30 to 16:30. Come and try this precious “only-now” flavor!

Ichigo Ichie literally means “one opportunity, one encounter”, means “Treasure every encounter, for it will never recur.”

The term is derived from Zen Buddhism and concepts of transience, and it is particularly associated with the Japanese tea ceremony.
In the context of tea ceremony, ichigo ichie reminds participants that each single tea meeting is unique that will never recur in one’s lifetime, therefore, each moment should be treated with the utmost sincerity.
It can be applied to one’s daily life, “all we have is today, so let’s live it to the fullest.”

A Japanese friend told me, “It’s Forrest Gump!”. I was looking blank with my what-are-you-talking-about face. A few seconds later, the Japanese tile of that movie, Forrest Gump -ichigo ichie-, came up in my mind. There must be a reason for its naming, but I don’t recall what the movie was about..