JapanNewbie

Japanese Tea Shop in Shiga

Posted on 20. Jan, 2008 @ 4:16 pm by harvey in Food, Travel Views: 1,014

I went to a tea shop in Shiga-ken, in the Shigaraki area last month. We went by car from the station after a failed attempt to visit the Miho Museum. (It was closed! ARGH!) I couldn’t tell you how to get here off the top of my head, but if anyone really wants to know, let me know in the comments and I’ll get the info from my friends. It’s way out of the way and only accessible by car.

The shop had three tables like this. The kettle contains hot water to make tea.

Preparing tea as we browse the sweets menu.

This is called kusa-mochi. Kusa means “grass”, and mochi as you may know, is the Japanese sticky rice cake. It was insanely delicious. The outside is crisp, but the inside is melty-stretchy-sticky hot. The “grass” that is mixed with the mochi is called yomogi. (蓬 or 艾, my dictionary says there is a phrase, よもぎのような髪, which literally means, “hair like yomogi”, and has the meaning of “unkempt hair.” Awesome.)

This is “zenzai”, which is a famous Japanese dessert you can usually find around any traditional sight-seeing area in the winter. It is a sweet (oh so sweet!) soup with anko (sweet red beans) and mochi inside. Excellent, especially in the winter!

If only photos were edible.

- Harvey