茶道とは、古くからお茶を楽しむために、数多くの作法の元で行われるものです。千利休によって侘び茶が確立され、それ以前からの流派も含め、様々な流派が茶道を現在まで受け継いできています。現在も京都には茶道の家元が拠点を置き、またお寺や神社の行事、祇園祭などのお祭りでもしばしば献茶（けんちゃ）が行われるなど、茶道の文化は京都にはとても根強く受け継がれています。
茶道では、お茶の味を引き立たせてくれる菓子は欠かせないものです。
Sado has been performed in many manners to enjoy tea since old times. As Sen no Rikyu established wabi-cha, various schools of the tea ceremony, including the ones preceding him, have carried on the Way of Tea up to the present day. There are still some heads of the sado schools remaining in Kyoto, who often make tea offerings at events of the temples and shrines as well as on the occasion of the Gion Festival. The culture of sado has its historically deep roots in Kyoto.
Confections are also an integral part of sado to bring out a better flavor of tea.
季節感のあるきれいな菓子は、茶席を引き立ててくれるものでもあります。バターやチーズ、油を使った菓子は茶道には向きません。
抹茶は緑茶の一種で、茶道に使われるお茶です。まず茶杓で抹茶をすくい茶碗に入れます。次に柄杓でお湯を茶碗に一気に注ぎ入れます。そして軽く茶碗を抑えながら、手早く茶筅でかき回しますと、お茶ができあがります。茶道のお茶は苦いというイメージがあるかもしれませんが、そんなことはありません。先にいただくお菓子で甘くなった口の中を抹茶がスッキリとさせてくれます。
Beautiful confectionery that brings you a feeling of the season adds spice to tea ceremony.
Sweets which contain oil such as butter or cheese are not suitable for tea ceremony.
Matcha is a kind of green tea, and used for tea ceremony. First, you scoop Macha powder with a teaspoon and put it in a teacup. Then, ladle hot water into the cup at once, and stir quickly with a bamboo tea whisk while holding it softly with your hands. That's how you make a Matcha tea. You might have an image that tea of tea ceremony is bitter, but it is not true. Matcha freshen your mouth by rinsing it after you enjoyed sweets.
