Snowing Mountain Tea in Yabe, Yame city

 【Wakocha by Mr Harashima at Yabe village, Yame city in Fukuoka】  

Yabe village is surrounded by mountains at 500-650 meters above sea level in Yame city, one of the well-known tea producing areas. Winter in the village is really harsh, and the tea fields are blanketed with snow at this time of year. The tea goes into hibernation while reserving nutrients, and wait long for spring. Mr Harashima produces beautiful organic tea including Sencha, Gyokuro, Wakocha (black tea), Hojicha etc. using such delicate but hardy buds and leaves. 

 

His wakocha, Yabukita cultivar, has a citrusy note with a hint of woodiness. Nicely round texture.

Samurai Wakocha

<Wakocha by Mr Yamamoto, SAMURAI Teafarm in Makinohara, Shizuoka>

Mr Yamamoto’s ancestors served for Tokugawa shogunate, and started to develop Makinohara area for tea prod.uction in 1872. Their samurai spirit is still inherited in the name of the “SAMURAI teafarm”. The current owner, Mr Morihiko Yamamoto, is the 5th generation to run the farm, producing "tokumushicha" (deeper steamed fukamushicha) and wakocha (Japanese black tea) and so the list goes on.

1) His 2nd flush Benifuki cultivar's wakocha, bitten by leaf hopper, has a flowery note with a lingering finish

2) Roasted leafhopper-bitten 2nd flush Benifuki wakocha 

He roasts the tea meticulously, giving it a deep amber colour, and sweet flavour like ripened fruit and honey. When cool down, the beautiful fragrance stands out more, and it lasts long in a cup. 

Their Samurai spirit inherited from ancestors is also in the package:-). 

Virtual Locally-Grown Tea Convention 2020

Annual national locally-grown tea convention hosted by a tea-growing village, Hinohara in Tokyo. Tea growers (who produce green tea and experimental teas like black tea) and tea lovers joined the event focusing on Japanese experimental teas. Unlike other years, it was a virtual event by REMO. 25 different kinds of wakocha (Japanese black tea), and a tea scoop made from the local cedar were sent to all the guests in advance. 

On that day, attendees enjoyed chatting with tea growers in a small group to ask about their tea while drinking, which was a great opportunity for all. 

After the event, I was honored to be invited to a meeting for 25 tea growers and stull members too. Good to hear that they exchanges their opinions about tea production to refine their tea, how they appeal tea to customers, how they pass down tea industry to next generations  etc.....Unfortunately, the consumption of tea has been decreasing, but their passion and sincerity will make it happen :-) 

Japanese Green Oolong and Dark Oolong

Ehime prefecture is not a big tea producing area. Rather, it is well-known for mandarin oranges. In such area, Waki family has long been producing good organic green tea in the mountain area, Shingu town in Ehime. 

Their green tea is also used for hugely popular local sweets; Sencha custard pudding & Matcha daifuku (rice cake sweets).  Thanks to good tea, especially the daifuku is a big hit. Perfect balance of gentle sweetness of cream and anko (red bean paste) inside and pleasant bitterness of their matcha outside attracts so many people. 

Unfortunately, the consumption of green tea has been decreasing nationwide. So the 4th generation, Mr Junki Waki, has started making black and oolong teas in addition to green tea.

Green oolong (left) and Dark oolong (right )

Black tea known as Wakocha

He said this is a challenging for our future.

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Asamiya tea - Koshun cultivar-

Sencha of “koshun” cultivar by Kitada family in Asamiya. 

Interestingly, koshun grown in Shizuoka has more milky note, but the one grown in Asamiya has flowery, herby and Sakura leafy flavour. Their glossy and deep green color leaves produce a round and rich texture. Very satisfying. Asamiya-cha is one of the best tea we should be proud of. Perfect with its local "kusamochi".

Asamiya Tea Field

Asamiya is one of the oldest and the best tea-producing areas thanks to rich soil and climate, especially a big gap temperature between days and nights. Since the tea is often used as blend tea of “Uji cha”, it may not be well-known widely though.

Visited to Kitada family's tea gardens in Asamiya. Their gardens are dotted on the hilly areas, which is tough just to get there. But so beautifu land crispy air feels so refreshing. 

And surprised to see numerous fans, which is to protect young tea from frost in early spring.

For lunch, we visited a neighboring town, Shigaraki, which is well-known for Shigaraki ware including tea cup and kyusu (teapot). A figure representing “tanuki (racoon dog)” , which shows good luck, is more popular and everywhere.

Nothing beats tea! --- Hojicha rice porridge, Gyokuro and Kyobancha---

Hojicha rice porridge lunch with 'a little bit of everything', in some of which have tea leaves at a tearoom, Tsuboichi in Osaka.

Icing on the cake after the porridge;  ”monaka" sweets and gyokuro. 

After having several infusions of gyokuro, I put a little ponzu (citrus-based soy sauce) on the infused leaves and eat them all. 

Finally, kyo-bancha (Kyoto tea made from late season leaves) is served. Healthy meal and soothing tea make me feel great. Nothing beats tea!!

At the shop in the café, they sell organic tea named "Go Green". I like that name.  

@Tsuboichi http://www.tsuboichi.co.jp/english/index-e.html

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Izumi Black -wakocha-

The rare cultivar "Izumi", which was once endangered, has revitalized by Mr Yoshida. Now his Izumi black tea is sought-after. The lightly-oxidized tea, processed using its unique techniques with the support of a tea consultant, has a fruity aroma with a round texture.

 

Since I still keep his 2019 tea, I compared it with 2020’s tea. 2019 tea has darker color and deeper flavour like ripen fruit while 2020 tea has more refreshing and  fresh fruit-like flavour. Well-made tea can be well-aged.

 

 He also produces Sencha made from rare cultivars such as hokumei, fukumidori, harumidori, misaki etc. His tea garden is a treasure house of rarity!

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Tamaryokucha

Tamaryokucha (lit: coiled green tea) , a.k.a guricha (lit; curly tea) or mushiguri (lit; steamed curl) produced in Saga prefecture. 

The processing is the same as regular sencha except for the final fine rolling step known as "seiju", which makes the leaves shape like needle. In other words, since "seiju" process is skipped, the tea leaves of tamaryokucha are not shaped like needle.

What makes us confused is that tamaryokucha is not only steamed type. There is pan-fired tamaryokucha too. In that case, the tea is often called kamaguri (pan-fired curl). :)

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Peachy Flavor Wakocha

Wakocha (Japanese black) by Imura family in Shizuoka. 

The leaves are bit by green fly, creating flavourful tea. The ruby liquor has a honey and fruity aroma with a pleasant astringency.  Peachy flavour with an apply and muscatel note, and it lingers in my mouth. When the tea gets a little colder, or when the tea is brewed with ambient temperature water, the peachy flavour comes out more. This tea is named "momoka", literally means "peachy flavour". No wonder. 

Together with Halloween sweets. 

Awabancha - Japanese dark tea-

Japan is known for green tea, but we have black, oolong and even dark tea too. Awabancha is one of the really rare Japanese dark tea (post-fermented) produced in Tokushima prefecture.

The production way is completely different from that of green tea: Pick the leaves in summer, and boil them. After rubbing them, put them in a barrel to ferment, and dry them in the sun. A lovely golden color tea has a slightly sourness without any bitterness.  

In my humble opinion, this tea is good with meal rather than any sweets.

Hand-made Osakan Wakocha

This is my hand-made Osakan Wakocha fresh from the oven!!

I made this tea using tea leaves at a tea garden in Osaka castle park. There is no commercial tea gardens in Osaka. So I assume this is the very first born-and-bred Osakan black tea...only 6 grams though.

I did outdoor withering first because it was nicely cloudy. Then indoor withering until moisture in the leaves are reduced to about 60%. 

Roll and leave them for oxidation. 

Finally, put them into oven to stop oxidation and dry. 

This is the first time to make black tea using autumnal leaves, which are harder to roll than expected. It could have been better, but tea making is always fun and relaxing.

A tiny tea garden in Osaka castle park

At tiny tea garden in Osaka castle park.

I joined a group who takes care of tea trees named Camellia Sinensis for the first time in a while. 

The trees seem to grow healthily at first glance, but so many flowers and so many tea fruits on the trees....which is not a good sign. It shows the tree is weak and trying to leave offspring before going to die. 

Even so, they look much healthier before now. Hope pruning will help the new buds come out beautifully next spring.

These tea trees are planted as ornamental plants in the park, not for processing. However, tea is tea. I’ve brought some leaves back to home to experiment hand-made Osakan autumnal black tea.