Asamiya Green Tea

Asamiya in Shiga prefecture is one of the greatest tea producing areas, but it's not that widely known since the tea had been blended in Uji and sold as "Uji-cha".  These days, Asamiya tea is often seen as "Asamiya cha" too.

This Asamiya-cha is Kabusecha made from okumidori cultivar

Beautifully vivid green leaves.  It has a pleasant umami-savoury taste with a thick and round texture and a lingering finish.  Good with "abekawa-mochi", rice dumpling sprinkled with roasted soybean powder.

 

*My Instagram  :  https://www.instagram.com/tomokoh22/

Yame Black Tea

Wakocha (Japanese black tea) made by Kurihara family in Yame, Fukuoka together with a cute calico cat-shaped bread.

Yame is well-known tea producing area, especially Gyokuro. They produce not only black tea but Gyokuro, Sencha, Kabusecha, Genmaicha, Kukicha, Hojicha and Bancha. They are known as a reliable tea producer, having received various kinds of awards. I haven't visited their tea garden yet, but it is one of the tea farms I would love to visit when things get ready.

* Kurihara Seichaen https://www.e-yamecha.com/

*My Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/tomokoh22/

Marishi Cultivar's Tea Flight

Comparative tea tasting is always fun.Especially, it is always interesting to have tea made from a rare cultivar. I had 5 different teas made from the same rare cultivar called "marishi".

All of the tea are made from the same cultivar, but the characters are different respectively depending on how/where they are grown, how/when they are picked, how they are processed etc. 

The one (from Shizuoka) that has a "Goldilocks" umami and thickness with a slight melony aftertaste is my favorite.

*My Instagram   https://www.instagram.com/tomokoh22/

Uji Matcha vs Nishio Matcha Sweets

Matcha is "originally" a drink. Recently, it is more to eat.....What I've found is special versions of longtime bestseller sweets. 

Here is Uji matcha-flavoured mushroom-shaped sweets.

The other one is Nishio matcha-flavoured bamboo shaped one 🤣

Uji one is thicker, while Nishio one is milder. I was thinking to have those with a bowl of matcha, but it can be too much. I picked up Sencha. :-)

Anyway, whether you like it or not, matcha is everywhere now....as sweets.

     * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomokoh22/