Hi, my name is Giedrė!
What is tea to me? First and foremost, it is an addiction to the insanely delicious taste and aroma. It’s a moment when you can stop and savour the flavours, notice and discover the beautiful everyday details. Tea is the subject of my work. After all, it’s so exciting to discover new flavours, to experiment and combine them!
My friendship with tea started more than 10 years ago. My interest in tea and Asia led me to the studies of East Asian cultures and languages, thanks to which I spent a year in Japan, learning about the country’s culture, the tea ceremony and the subtleties of pottery. Returning from the Land of the Rising Sun, I wrote my final thesis titled “The Tea Ceremony as Part of Japanese Identity”.
From Australia to the tea fields of Japan
The winds of my life took me to Australia. While living there, I lovingly brewed tea for the locals, completed Certified Tea Master Courses by Australian Tea Masters and Tea Blending Courses by Australian Tea Masters. I then had the opportunity to spend three remarkable spring months at the tea farm in Uji region in Japan where I had hands-on experience on the process of growing and making tea.
During my stay in Uji I realized that some of the sweetest moments of my life came with a cup of tea in my hands. Therefore, coming back to my homeland Lithuania, I am eager to share the tea stories and the most delicious cups of tea with you. Having discovered many extraordinary teas, I think it is unfair to keep all of it to myself.
Yugen Tea is a project that has been a long time in the making. After knowing and discovering so many wonderful teas, I decided it was unfair to keep it all to myself. The idea of opening a tea bar-studio in Lithuania, where I could make and tell you about tea for hours, was born.
While staying in Japan, I met Japanese farmers who love tea to the depths of their hearts. So among the tea fields, the idea was born to open this online shop, which would be like a bridge between You and the small farms of Japan. I believe that the tea of every farmer I have met is like a work of art that reflects his worldview and passion. From the many extraordinarily delicious teas, I have selected those that, in my opinion, best reflect the character and spirit of that farmer. I wish you to seek and discover your favourite flavours and moments.
Giedrė
What is Yugen?
Yugen is a Japanese aesthetic term for the subtle beauty of this world, experienced by observing the small details of our daily lives. It’s the moment you watch through the window, when a gust of wind blows the leaves off the trees and they move elegantly in the air. It’s a sense of aesthetics when you watch the tea leaves unfolding and find small but charming imperfections in your cup of tea.