Ōritsu Hōjicha (organic) | 王立 ほうじ茶

Description

It is nearly winter, yet the almond trees are in blossom. At a temple on the far side of the lake, a congregation of deer receive guests bearing gifts of toasted wafers. The sacred herd gracefully nod their heads and devour their bounty – an evolution of etiquette born from centuries of observed worship. Today the wafers crumble like dry autumn leaves; tomorrow their crumbs will weightlessly race the first snowfall to the ground. High on a hill, there is a firelit room overlooking the temple grounds. A tiny pile of wet twigs casts a flickering shadow, dancing in rhythm to the crackling coal. Static and spent, they sit patiently, awaiting reinfusion. Their legacy is a pot of nutty tea with floral notes so distinct, it seems plausible those humble stems might spontaneously erupt into bloom. But it is not to be. The first winds of winter dampen the flames and course down the hill. They stir the unseasonable almond blossoms which disperse and vanish, cascading like snowflakes over the bowing deer of Nara.

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