Tea ceremony

Participating in the Japanese tea ceremony (o-cha-noyu) is to participate in an activity considered both an art form and an way of meditation. One may study its form for a lifetime, becoming a tea master (o-cha-sensei).

At its apparent core is a special green tea, matcha, rather bitter — but the tea itself is secondary to the rituals and environment of serving. There are many variants of the ceremony, usually with extremely precise etiquette by both the tea server and guests, defining things to admire and concentrate upon during parts of preparing, serving, and consuming the tea and perhaps selected foods.