[Limited] HANA KIKOH -Grape (handcrafted Multi-cup:180ml) Reviews

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Author Sarah Longo   (United States)
Review I am a big fan of Shunzan Mori's art and Tea Ware (I absolutely love his "Kogiku" Matcha Bowl, the one adorned with Chrysthanthamum Autumn flower.) so I knew this (along with the matching Spring Peony cup, if you appreciate both) would be very beautiful along with functional, plus it is a bit larger than other yunomi/cups and could be used for more of a variety of things. I was not let down!
While the Peony cup is very pretty and evokes cooler Spring days and mornings with it's pale, pastel pink and white colored flower petals that are accented by glints of gold and delicate green leaves, the painted Grape design on this cup is quite intricate with its colorful bunches of grapes and green grapevine leaves which are also accented with warm gold and a cute little bee who is busy in action. This cup's painted art, for me, gives off more of a warm or hot sense/atmosphere, and also one of more action/movement when compared to the soft calm of the artist's design of the Spring Peony. I found it to be most enjoyable to use at night or in the evening to remind me to appreciate the Summer more, no matter how hot it can get.
If you are looking for a larger sized cup that also offers versatility, enjoy the unique characteristics of the individual Four Seasons, specifically Summer, this wonderfully detailed and handpainted Summer scene will impress and delight you, in my opinion!
The artist has really managed to conjure up the feelings and sensations of two distinct Seasons on these two cups, when bought as a set, with his mindful use of colors and details carefully painted on each, one of Spring, and one of Summer. The larger size makes them versatile and after recieving them I feel they look even better in person and are a wonderful addition to anyone's Green Moment, especially people who like to enjoy the specialness of all Four Seasons. Thanks, Hibiki-an!

As a side note, and a personal favorite Matcha and Gyokuro Karigane Fruit Smoothie recipe:
I had been using this Peony cup to enjoy Spring when I had Matcha pairing it with the Shincha Matcha (which was incredibly delicious and fresh, PLEASE offer it again next Season!) and although I was drinking the Matcha hot, recently I decided to enjoy the very last bit of my Shincha Matcha cold. It was a wonderful treat and I regret not having tried cold Matcha, definitely Shincha Matcha sooner. I did not drink it iced, I used cold, refrigerated water that I poured directly into the Shincha Matcha Canister (I wanted every last powder particle!! Then allowed the canister to thoroughly dry for re-use.) and shook the canister very hard several Times, than I left the canister unopened inside the refrigerator to "cold brew" for awhile and when it was finally ready I emptied the refreshing cold Shincha Matcha into the beautiful Peony cup's statement of fresh Spring and had an incredible Fresh Green Moment!
Inspired by that experience, this morning I decided to do something different when I had my Super Premium Matcha and once again wanted to use the Peony cup. The painted Peony evokes a sense of cool and refreshing atmosphere for me, which is needed due to such hot and humid weather where I live, but the Summer Grape scene would also be a nice pairing to enjoy a frozen treat as you take a break this hot Summer. I used the multi-cup to enjoy a cold fruit and Matcha smoothie. I substituted any juice, ice, water, etc. with some cold brewed Gyokuro Karigane that also had a bit of Matcha added to it to enrich the Tea's body, and blended that with my usual amount of Super Premium Matcha Powder plus the frozen fruit and yogurt cubes that come prepackaged in the frozen section of your grocery store. This drink was AMAZING, and I HIGHLY recommend it to EVERYONE! It's a great way to enjoy cold, refreshing Matcha (AND cold brewed Gyokuro Karigane!) in a smoothie but with WAY less sugar since you are substituting the juice with a cold. nutritious, Hibiki-an fresh Tea! Not to mention it tastes even better! At least I think it does. I hope this recipe variation pleases others because I really felt compelled to share it with Hibiki-an and everyone else since it was a VERY nice Green Moment for me.
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 5 of 5 Stars!

Date July 27, 2012

Reviews Posted by this Author: 132