Japanese Tea

We have added 5 new teas, this time from Japan, to our already extensive range!

Japanese Teas

The first Tea seedlings were bought to Japan from China in about AD800. Primarily, the drink was used as a medicine, but with the ‘aura of good health’ that prevailed in the Japanese minds about tea, they started to develop their own ways of cultivating and serving the teas that they grew.

The high regard for tea at this time in Japan is evident from stories about Tocha, a tea tasting game that originated in China, in which one has to guess which tea comes from the best region. Tocha changed the basis of social gatherings at which tea was served, and became part of the basis for the famous Japanese Tea Ritual.

The Japanese drink mainly green tea, and its quality is of extreme importance. Powdered green tea is still very widely used in Japan, particularly in the tea ceremony, where it is whisked to a foam.

Tea plants in Japan are cultivated with extreme care. They feed the plants extra nitrates to make them bright green. 28 days before picking, the plants are shielded from the sun. The first flushing gives the best quality, and as the season progresses, the tree gets picked further down until, in some plantations, the tree ends up completely bare! The newly picked leaves are then steamed in a boiler to get rid of the enzymes, and then caged and blown, to separate the leaves. The finer leaves are siphoned off at the top of the cage. The leaves are dried but not roasted and emerge from these processes in a bright green state. Tea picked in April is ready to be drunk in October and whilst in storage, the tea leaves are kept in boxes in a cool, dry place.

I have selected five of the most well-known Japanese teas to offer on our website. I was most impressed when I received the original tasting samples as they really are very different, and represent another take on tea from the traditional China teas we sell. I have packed them into 50g packs but if you require it, I can pack them into larger amounts. Please email me or telephone for further details on this.

1. Gyokuro

A delightful Tea, although rather expensive. It has the distinctive, refined flavour that Japanese Teas possess and is most refreshing and, in my opinion, worth the extra money. You can also make Mat Cha, the well known powdered tea used in the Japanese Tea ritual by putting Gyokuro in a mortar and pestle and grinding it up to a fine, almost flour like consistency!

2. Kukicha

Another more sensibly priced Japanese tea. This tea contains some stalks as well as leaves and has a very pale liquor. The leaves may be re-infused a second time with this tea. It possesses a delicate flavour that will complement light foods excellently and again is very refreshing. I would even suggest serving this tea instead of wine with a meal. Delicious!

3. Green Bancha

Bancha is made from the later pickings of the leaves and the leaves are noticeably coarser in the pot. Bancha has a stronger, ‘greener’ flavour than Kukicha and is like a Chinese Gunpowder tea, but more refined. It has a deeper yellow liquor than Kukicha or Gyokuro. Another tea drinking experience!

4. Houjicha

Houjicha is roasted Bancha tea. Teas have been roasted in Japan since the early 1920’s when merchants started roasting tea to prolong the life of their green tea leaves. Roasting imparts a delightful, slightly unexpected flavour to Japanese Tea along with a pleasant brown liquor. Very nice indeed! Worth a try. Apparently this tea is extremely popular in Japan when served iced!

5. GenMaiCha

Tea never ceases to amaze me. It was a really enjoyable experience sourcing, tasting and selecting these fantastic teas, and I hope you have as much pleasure in drinking them as I do.