Quench your curiosi-tea at Harvest Index

Collingwood recently welcomed a new shade to its palette of vibrants shops and restaurants with Harvest Index, a Japanese tea studio on the corner of Johnston and Wellington Streets.

As we entered the minimalist tea studio dominated by hues of velvet green and grey, we found ourselves in an interior that balanced tradition and modernity with its striking design. Harvest Index creates a unique and genuine atmosphere and it’s not hard to notice the free samples of tea showcased in test tubes, displays of teas mirroring the periodic table, bamboo teaspoons, whisks, and handcrafted tea brewing equipment. It was no surprise to learn that the Melbourne-based owners are brand designers!

As we were greeted and welcomed to the bar by tea ceremony expert Rie Ohnuki and her colleague, a very relaxed conversation about the history and of the Japanese tea ceremony ensued, where we learned of its Chinese origins with the first tea leaves being brought back by Zen monks, and the place it held within the Samurai class, where tea ceremonies were as ritualised as they were politicised.

Rei then proceeded to a custom session based on which teas tickled our fancy. Each tea was minutely measured and, depending on its strength, water was brought to the perfect temperature to bring out its flavour (the more delicate the tea, the lower the temperature so as not to burn the leaves).

As hot and cold, green and black, powdered and leaf teas were poured, the conversation about Japanese culture kept flowing. We also learned how, along with Sencha and Hojicha, the Matcha served and sold at Harvest Index was all organic and handpicked in a Japanese tea farm where tea has been grown for more than 300 years old.

Tea ceremonies are free, and there are a range of teas and tools to buy to take home with you. The tea tasting session at Harvest Index proved to be a sensory but also cultured experience that we recommend to tea connoisseurs and amateurs, or simply if you want to quench your curiosi-tea!

Harvest Index
74 Johnston Street, Collingwood
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm
harvestindex.co