One of the most famous sayings in tea, attributed to the great tea master Sen Sotan, is that "Tea and Zen have One Taste."
For over four hundred years, Japanese have recognized chado, the "way of Tea," as the primary training ground for their refined cultural aesthetic.
The Rinzai Zen conviction that enlightenment can be attained in the course of performing everyday acts has been inextricably intertwined with the practice of tea ritual for centuries. . Following the "way of Tea" involves much more than learning to prepare powdered tea according to the traditions of the Japanese tea schools. It becomes a way of life.
Today, millions of people all over the world study the "way of Tea."
It may have been cultivated as early as 350 B.C. Tea is a shrub that grows wild underneath tall trees in the forest. All tea comes from the camellia sinensis, but it is treated differently in processing to make black or green tea. To make green tea, the freshly picked tea is steamed immediately to stop fermentation.
There are two kinds of tea schools in Japan. The sencha schools use the whole tea leaf. The better known and more historically significant matcha schools use powdered tea.
At a formal tea gathering both thick tea (koicha) and thin tea (usucha) are served. Thick tea is customarily made from higher quality tea than thin tea. There are hundreds of different kinds of tea rituals performed by the matcha schools. They differ by season, according to the utensils used, in purpose, and by their level of formality; however, making a good bowl of tea is essential to all.