Chajin Tea Shop

Carol Negiar invited me for a tea tasting at her shop Chajin, The House of Japanese Green Tea, last May but between schedule conflicts and vacances, I couldn't get there till last month.

The cozy shop is located on a tranquil street in the 8th arr. in between the busy Madeleine and St. Lazare areas. Entering the shop, Carol greeted me with a nice Hello! and we exclaimed that it was finally nice to meet each other after all this time. I felt I was entering her home rather than a shop, as she was wearing a pair of soft wool clogs that looked like comfy bedroom slippers. I snooped around in every nook and cranny as any good detective/reporter/blogger would and found this unknown world of tea and tea products. All the while, Carol patiently told me at length about the shop, green tea, the chemistry of green tea, and anything I would possibly ever want to know about green tea and more.

I learned that Carol opened the shop in 2001 and specializes in only green tea from Japan, selling 24 varieties including matcha and shincha. In fact, she works with and is part owner of two tea plantations in the two best tea regions, Uji and Shizuoka. She also offers weekly tea tastings and an occasional Japanese tea ceremony, upon request. There's a wide selection of tea accessories such as strainers, cups, porcelain & earthenware teapots, kama & furo (used for Japanese tea ceremony), and tea containers. If you want a nibble, there are  yummy desserts like Yokan- green tea and sweetened azuki with chestnuts,Fuyo Daifkuku, and matcha green tea cake and if you want a light lunch, Carol can whip up Ochazuke, a dish with rice, tuna, and green tea.

Carol brewing my tea

I am really a coffee person but will have the occasional cup of tea. Carol brewed two types for me to sample. The first was a shincha which was served on a round lacquered tray with a red clay teapot and poured into a white porcelain cup decorated with blue flowers. The delicate green leaves fell to the bottom of the cup and I waited a few moments for it to settle and then sipped. It was soothing and calming with an intoxicating aroma. As I sipped, Carol explained the chemical and health aspects thoroughly. Chajin can mean tea master or tea student, and it was the perfect word to describe my experience, as Carol the tea master imparted her wisdom and knowledge to the uneducated but willing to learn tea student. The second tea was a grilled twig tea and had a heavier, more intense flavor. Luckily for me, no one came into the shop during the 90 minutes I was there and I felt like I was Carol's private guest/student.

As we wrapped up my visit, Carol was so kind to give me a generous gift of a bag of tea smartly packaged in brown paper and a tea strainer. I am still a coffee person but now I have an appreciation for green tea which I now have more than occasionally.

24 rue Pasquier, 8th arr.
Metro: Madeleine or St. Lazare
Open Monday to Friday, 12:30PM- 6:30PM, Saturday, December 4, 11, & 18 1PM-8PM
Tel. 01 53 30 05 24

You can order Chajin teas online http://www.chajin-online.com

Japanese tea ceremony room

My shincha tea

COMING SOON! Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

In the coming weeks I will post information about the sale of my blog photos just in time for holiday gifts.Here is a preview of some of the photos I will be selling.

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Comments

[jay]

i love green tea! does she have a green tea with toasted rice in it? my friend brought some back from Japan and it was delicious. The tea itself was like a thick bright green soup - amazing!

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