There are some dark tea (post-fermented tea) in Japan. One of them is “Goishicha” produced only in Otoyo town, Kochi prefecture.
The process of the tea requires a great deal of labor.
Pluck the tea leaves around July. Steam the leaves in a barrel for a couple of hours. Remove the twigs, cover them with straw mats and let them rest for a couple of days. Pickle them in a barrel another couple of days, which is lactic fermentation. Take the leaves out of the barrel and cut them into 3-4cm cubes. Place them on the mat for anther couple of days again to dry them under the sun…… It takes about 60 days after the leaves are plucked. Hard work, isn’t it?
Actually, this tea was about to disappear due to the decrease in consumption, and such a hard work. But thanks to local government support and the recent health-oriented trend, Goishicha has been drawing world’s attention again. And now, even the Goishicha tea bags are seen at some local super markets.
It has a very distinctive sour flavor, so you either love it or hate it. If you are not sure about the sour taste, cold brew Goishicha is recommended.
* This is a post about Goishicha https://japaneseteastory.blogspot.com/2011/05/goishi-cha.html
