long-mao:

Everyone should know this.

EVERYONE.

The Japanese tea ceremony (茶の湯, chanoyū) is the ceremonial preparation and presentation of the powdered green tea known as matcha. The tea ceremony is highly ritualized and the manner in which it is performed or the art of its performance is known as sadō (茶道, also read as chadō). Zen Buddhism was integral to the ceremony’s development, and its influence pervades many aspects of its performance.

Hishaku (柄杓)
This is a long bamboo ladle with a nodule in the approximate center of the handle. It is used to pour hot water into the tea bowl from the iron pot (kama) and to transfer cold water from the fresh water container to the iron pot when required. A tetsubin does not require the use of a hishaku. Different styles are used for different ceremonies and in different seasons.

Sugar, creamer and cookie plate were painted by my grandmother, Anna Roney, in 1915, at about age 21. She grew up on a farm in Knox, Indiana, and worked as a secretary. At that time, painting china was a popular hobby for young women, which she apparently pursued for about a year.

Recipe: Half a gallon of tea. Two sticks of cinnamon, broken. A teaspoon of whole cloves. Six ounces of frozen orange juice concentrate.

Hot tea steams as it brews.