Our tea
Origins and cultures
Tea plantations in Japan are located throughout the Japanese archipelago except on the island of Hokkaido, in northern Japan.
Influence of the harvesting period on the taste of tea
The longer a tea plant is exposed to sunlight, the greater the amount of catechin in its leaves. Conversely, the amount of theanine decreases. This amino acid is recognized as one of the compounds responsible for the umami taste.
Harvesting periods of our products
The best tea comes from the first two shoots and the main shoot. The first shoots have a very particular sweetness because they contain a lot of theanine remaining from the winter (Sencha Haru Tea).
The tea harvest traditionally took place on the eighty-eighth day of spring, around May 2nd. However, it is now carried out earlier due to the warming of the earth.
1. Teas harvested in early April have only experienced the timid sun of early spring. Their taste remains mild.
Green teas harvested from late April to early May benefited from more sustained sunshine. Their flavor is balanced (Sencha Tsuki tea).
Harvested later in the season, the teas have received even more sun: they are more full-bodied and have more bitterness.
2. Those harvested from late April to early May benefited from more sustained sunshine. Their flavor is balanced.
After the first hand-picking, the tea leaves are collected by machine, up to a certain height on the tea plant. This production is called "first-class tea".
The leaves harvested lower on the plant, which are somewhat tough, are called "non-grade tea". This type is used to make roasted green tea.
3. Teas harvested from the end of May to the beginning of summer have received even more sun; they are more full-bodied and have more bitterness.
Forty-five days after the first-grade tea harvest, the leaves have grown back. Those harvested from the end of May to the end of June constitute the second grade, and so on up to the fourth grade (harvested four times).
The secret of the flavour of shincha
Tea buds form during the autumn; they remain tightly closed throughout the winter and open at the end of March. The shoots have a very distinctive, mild flavor because they contain a lot of theanine remaining from the winter. They are covered in down. When tea is made from these shoots, their down can be seen floating on the surface.
This is the mark of a true first-harvest green tea; it has an incomparable flavor.
Organic farming Kawane, the « village in the sky »
Six hundred meters above sea level, at the end of a winding path following the course of the river Ōi, a tea field suddenly appears in the depths of the mountains.
The latter is, today as in the past, synonymous with high quality tea.
It is in the “village in the sky”, located in the heart of the mountains surrounding Kawane, where we find this field of tea. Insects cannot approach the high altitude, so the tea is produced without resorting to pesticides. Moreover, the pesticides used by the surrounding plantations do not reach the field since it is isolated within the mountains. And thanks to the great temperature difference between day and night, as well as the soil’s water absorption capacity, the tea leaves enrich themselves day after day with umami flavour. The morning mist also plays an essential role in the cultivation of quality leaves.
“Chagusaba”
The tea cultivation in the village in the sky, in addition to not using pesticides, has another characteristic: chagusaba. This practice consists of cutting the tall susuki grasses that wither in the autumn and then laying them on the ground between the rows of tea plants.
Furthermore, the tea is produced using organic fertilizers. The owner, Tetsuo Ohashi (on the left in the right-hand photo), tends the field that his ancestors began cultivating during the Edo period. While preserving traditional farming methods, he has taken the initiative to integrate modern techniques. With Yamashita Yū (on the right in the photo with the tea plants), a soil analysis engineer, he creates healthy and fertile soil using organic fertilizers.
The Effects of Green Tea
Japanese green tea, a natural beverage
Originally, tea was used for its medicinal properties. Japanese green tea can also be synonymous with well-being. It is consumed today in Japan for its relaxing and medicinal benefits.
Regular consumption of green tea can help protect our health. Studies have been conducted and have proven these benefits.
Here are the main components of Japanese green tea:
Catechin (polyphenols) – Oligosaccharides
Vitamins: C, B1, B2 – Saponin
Caffeine – Polysaccharide
Flavonoids – Theanine
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) – Minerals