The fresh tea leaves are steamed and dried. Later they are ground into a fine powder using a tea mill. It's not fermented like black tea is.
For SAMURAI warriors, for whom being prepared to die in battle at any time was part of their code, chanoyu was the highest form of hospitality. We raise the teabowl slightly before drinking the tea. This is to express our feeling of thanks.
In Japan, a highly developed culture matured around this tea. We can embody tranquility only when we make harmony, respect and purity our own.
