She Who Eats

Thanks a million to those of you who have taken part to the realization of the 1st Virtual Hanami ever {#sakurandom}. It was great having shared with you all our common passion for this truly amazing Japanese custom. You made my week-end become bright, even thought it was raining all around.
It's unbelivable that a nation, like Japan is, find itself all focused on what apparently are just tiny weightless flowers. It seems to me a little piece of hope: 10 magical days when you can imagine everything good is possible, because nature is finally taking your side!

This is my way to be grateful: She Who Eats is not just a great source of delicious recipes but a collection of dreaming places and Instagram snaps too. Don't you agree?

Credits: here
Collage by Moustaches

Tweet Your Hanami

The idea came out on Twitter from the necessity to enjoy some hanami-mood together, taking advantage of our geek attitude to share things.
My friends and I are waiting for your contribution & photo reports.
I'll pick a tablecloth, what will you??

 Find more at:
@Bibliogiappone
@fraimirtilli
@WanderInJapan
@TradGiappone
@giapponextutti

The Sakura Forecast

The Japanese sakura forecast is out! Are you ready with your pic-nic basket? Check out and save the date: you don't need to be in Japan to celebrate!
Find a sunny place where to lay an old tablecloth out and enjoy a theme menu. Any ideas? I'll give you many soon. Stay tuned!

How To Be A Modern Geisha #4

To everyone needs to get inspiration to avoid messy-looking hair.
Have a good {hopefully sunny} Sunday!

Previous episodes (#1 #2 #3):

Credits: 1. 2.

It's Tea Time, Man!

First af all I have to admit I am far from being a professional tea taster: I barely recognise strawberry taste from Karkade one. This not prevent me to collect green tea, pretending to be an expert, even if I don't have a clue of how a tea cerimony has to be conducted, or how Japanese people use to prepare it and stuffs like that.

The truth is I like tiny boxes and green powder (not always its smell) and I have learnt so much by my own only after having drunk liters of smelly and untasty 'dirty water', like I use to call a super-bad green tea!

Let's start a tour of the most refined Japanese tea variety I jealously keep in my corner cupboard.

1. Maikonocha is a famous  leaves tea produced in Kyoto, near Uji. I got it from a good friend of mine who used to live there. It smells terrible but it is the best one to be infused in hot water whenever you need a cup of tea. The colour is light green, almost similar to a golden yellow. No way, it's my favourite to drink.
2. Kombucha is a sweetened tea produced by effervescent fermentation. Despite of its powder it is not a green tea, actually. I must confess: I bought it by mistake and I tried it once to make a white chocolate & green tea plumcake. A really nasty one.
3. Matcha. I was totally obsessed by it when I was in Japan. I used to have big glasses of matcha milkshake, slices of matcha cake, matcha Kit-Kat ...
It is made of thin bright green powder and it smells good, but as soon as I came back to Italy it lost its special taste and now it is just "another ordinary tea", as you understand what I mean...

If you have some great recipes using green tea leaves or powder, feel free to share them here. I will pleased to try them!

She Loves Green Tea

I'm a homelover, and I have never belived of being able to say so. Baking cakes, indoor gardening, having more than one cup of tea usually make my Sunday morning. Then of course I have to put my pajama off to get ready to leave the house, not before having enjoyed my small rituals.
This is a little anticipation of what I'm preparing for you to celebrate the pleasure of a great, hot, scented cup of green tea.
Stay tuned!

Mayumi Wakabayashi

Faber-Castells pencils and Moleskine are Mayumi's every day friends. Whats does she like to draw the most? Japanese sweets (wagashi), delicious street-food recipes and more traditional ones.

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