Mother's Day Tea Picking

Mother's day was celebrated by picking tea leaves in Odawara. I and my friend have a pleasant time on Mother's Day by traveling to Odawara, which is closer to the sea and the mountains. It took us about an hour by train from our place. 

I was ready for the trip; I brought my tools and attire for the adventure with my friend. It is her first time in this kind of activity. She was amazed that I have prepared my tools and attire for the tea picking.

The weather was warm so we were able to pick the tea leaves for an hour and a half. 

I showed my friend which leaves to pick. Normally, I chose the core leaf with two leaves below it.

We were not sure about the total weight of the harvested leaves. We had it dried on the hot plate, as seen in the first photo at the top, to remove the moisture, packed it, and brought it home.

Before leaving, we enjoyed tea and spaghetti at the cafe on the plantation.

The spaghetti had a green tea leaves sauce. The spaghetti was made with pepperoncino, which was a little bit spicy, and the tea leaves added a little bitterness so it was a fusion of flavors. I will share how to make this sauce in the next blog. 

My friend said it was a fun activity and she appreciated the experience as a beginner.