Japanese Green tea for Life

We are green tea exporter in Japan. Japanese green tea has a lot of varieties such as Sencha, Gyokuro, Matcha. Each of producer in gardens are devorting their life for tea production. We'd like to introduce and share their interesting story. For more info, visit; www.jp-greentea.co.jp/english/

We, Japan Greentea Co., Ltd. has been doing tea business since 1969, and we have one of the best collection of Japanese teas which is carefully selected.
Type, Region, Grade, Cultivars, Organic, and for Retail or Bulk for companies.

I usually travel many tea regions in Japan mostly from February to May for purchasing and communication with farmers. We share many homework with tea gardens to develop pesticide complianced but the taste is similar to Japanese standard.

These days, I spent more time for organic gadens so that it was physically very tough trip since my choice of organic gardens are mostly located in deep inside of mountains.
But they are real deal: genuine tea growers rather than just "I keep JAS certificate rule" gardens.

Also, organic teas are grown slower than conventional tea trees so that the harvest time is later and packing to be ready is slower since the gardens are relatively smaller sized.

Anyway, 2016 selection is ready and let me introduce them.

These are not yet JAS certified but in the process of evaluation by JAS Organic.

So, let me call them "Export tea" until they are certified. They are grown in 1 single farm and crop amount is very limited.

#23066 Kagoshima Sencha F No Pesticide. Limited Edition
23066 K 3

Limited Edition. Total 500kg. No pesticide, no chemical fertiliser. Unique aroma. Rich Theanine. 1 farm made. Blended for taste and aroma.


#23068 Kagoshima Sencha 2nd flush A for EU Limited Edition
23068 K 3
Limited Edition. Total 450kg. This tea is made for EU compliance. A little long steamed (Fukamushi) and rich Theanine.


#23070 Kagoshima Sencha A for USA Limited Edition
23070 K 3
Limited Edition. Total 350kg. The most recommended Sencha in 2016. This 1st flush tea is early crop blended to complete aroma, sweetness and rich taste, blended by Mr. Tomiyama.

#23071 Kagoshima Sencha B for USA Limited Edition
23071 K 3
Limited Edition. Total 300kg. This is economy version of #23070 Sencha A, the most recommended Sencha in 2016. This 1st flush tea is early crop blended to complete aroma, sweetness and rich taste, blended by Mr. Tomiyama.

239a

This is Mr. Tomiyama of Kagoshima tea. He is a taster and blender who bid in dealer auction for me.

82a

To be continued....

If you have any question, please contact to
www.jp-greentea .co.jp/english

Thank you very much.

On February, we had a guest from Finland.

We met in Germany food show, Anuga and he visited our booth.
I was pretty impressed about his enthusiasm about learning Japanese tea and I offered him to come to Japan for tea tour.

Mr. Riku Nordqvist came here right away.

He owns his tea company in Finland and he has a big knowledge about black tea and herbal infusion through his study in Germany and also the experience from the family business.

Anyway, we went to Uji, Kyoto in the day 1.

We visited Mr. Harima who is very famous about the pioneer of organic green tea in Uji, Kyoto. He is the 1st one who did it from 1970.
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Making organic tea tree is very and very difficult in Japan due to the climate. Many tea growers are still failing to shift from non organic tea tree to organic tea tree.
Becoming organic tea tree is like a fat man becomes Olympic athlete.

You can see how the tree is different from conventional tea tree. It's thick!
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Then we went to The SADO master, Mr. Imanishi's his private tea room.
He owns his matcha rough tea processing factory (Tencha factory) near by his house.

Riku learned each process from raw leaf - steaming - drying - and heating of matcha leaf: Tencha at there like he works at there. 

Then we move onto Mr. Yano's finished tea factory to see stone mill.

Japanese tea business is roughly 3 parts; (1) Tea garden (farm), (2) Rough tea factory : steaming raw leaf. (3) Finished tea factory :  Sorting, cleaning, re-heating and blending if need.
Sencha and Matcha has a different way to grow and also different method of making rough tea.
Sencha rough tea, we call it Aracha. Matcha rough tea, we call it Tencha.
They are usually all separate company.

Riku checks Tencha leaf very careful by seeing aroma and color, thickness of leaf since the leaf price of low grade and high grade is 5 times different.
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After that, he goes for tea tasting for evaluate his Japanese tea(s) for 2016 products.

Tencha (matcha leaf), Sencha, and Gyokuro.
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He picked up his favores ones.
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The next day, we visited Nishio, Aichi.
This region is probably the biggest matcha gardens in Japan.

While most of Uji matcha farm is very small sized family owned gardens, Nishio gardens are big sized and organized.

Usually, aorund February is the most cold month in Japan and trees don't look good, but Nishio gardens have good trimmers and trees look very healthy.
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During 2 days, we just talked about green tea from A to Z. No time for rest.
I was really happy to see the guy from him that showed us the interest to Japanese tea and tea production in depth.

Hope he introduce Japanese tea and culture in Finland.
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 If you have any question, please contact to
www.jp-greentea .co.jp/english

Matcha (green tea powder) becomes very popular in th eworld these days.

But many of them seems confused what is different between Matcha green tea powder and Green tea powder even Japanese.

Simply, look at the below photo as 1st of all,
1
Greener is better grade. Left 2 grades are Ceremonial grades.
Right 3 matcha are obviously cooking grades. (above photo)
3a

In Japan, green tea means Sencha (steamed) green tea.
Then, matcha has to be sun shaded for at least 21 days. (mostly the garden do nealy 30 days)
When they do sun shading?
About a week before they harvest sencha green tea.
So, if the gaden harvest May 3rd, Sun shading starts April 26th. (it depends onj weather and growing situation of tea leaf though)

Sun shading is actually not that easy since green tea are made at everywhere but you don't see matcha made ouutside of Japan.
It cooled down too much often or wet too wet inside. When cooled down too much, tea tree misunderstood that winter comes. So he (she?) goes to sleep mode. (it means he doesn't drink or eat at all so that important nutrition Theanine don't increase even shading!!!)
Then matcha taste bitter and color is not vivid.
166

This is inside.
In sun shading, we try to cut 90% of sun light.
But 90% is not consistent: some gets more and some gets less.

Such difference goes to the leaf grade/quality after steaming and drying.
Oh, Matcha leaf don't have a rolling process unlike sencha anyway.

Matcha leaf after steamed and dried, we call it Tencha leaf. (rough tea).
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We differencite by colors. Darker is sweeter so we use it for Grade A (ceremonial).

Then, milling.

Stone mill is lower temperature but it produces only 50g/hour.
Low heat save/remain the emerald green color so we use stone mill for Grade A and Grade B.
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So, Matcha,
is sun shaded for nearly a month.
is not rolled in rough tea process.
is graded after rough tea, tencha.

Ceremonial grade
must be very dark leaf after steamed and dried. 
must be stone milled.

Also, matcha is very weak for light, air and heat.
After you opened the package, let's finish up fast!

Thank you!

If you have any question, please contact to
www.jp-greentea .co.jp/english


Mr. Mori of 9th degree tea master is owning finishing tea company, Kagoshima Seicha and tea house, Birouen near Kagoshima Chuo Station.

His selection 2015 is;

Organic Kagoshima Sencha 1st Flush.
22263 Kagoshima Sencha 1st Flush
Organic Kagoshima Fukamushi cha 1st Flush.

Fukamushi means deep steamed.
Actually they are steamed longer time than deep (higher temperature) steamed.

The benefit is that tea color gets green by powdered leaf and taste sweeter than short time steamed if same leaf.
However, the leaf below look so great that you see deep green needle shape.
It looks like the leaf is too good and he didn't want to break the leaf shape.
It is still Fukamushi but really close to standard sencha this year.
22264 Fukamushi 1st flush 3
Organic Kagoshima Sencha 2nd Flush.
Kagoshima locates far south in Japan.
The eariest harvest of 2nd flush in Japan. This is teh latest arrival.
22445 Sencha 2nd flush 3
As seasonal products, the followings are always available.

Organic Sencha Autamnal.
22446 Sencha Autamnal 3
Organic Genmaicha
22267 Genmaicha kagoshima 3
Organic Hojicha
22270 Hojicha 3
Organic Kukicha
22266 Kukicha 3
To be continued.

If you have any question, please contact to
www.jp-greentea .co.jp/english

Thank you very much!

I traveled many tea regions in Japan to choose the 2015 tea.
I spent more time for organic gadens in Japan this year so that it was physically very tough trip this year since my choice of organic gardens are mostly located in deep inside of mountains.
But they are real deal: genuine tea growers rather than just "I keep JAS certificate rule" gardens.

Also, organic teas are grown slower than conventional tea trees so that the harvest time is later and packing to be ready is slower since the gardens are relatively smaller sized.

Anyway, 2015 selection is ready and let me introduce them.

1st one is Sakamoto Brothers; Organic Gyokuro. Kagoshima.

Tea has rich Theanine so that it look very shiny.
I believe most of tea people won't know it is organic until they are told.
1st time to launch this tea to the world.
22658 Gyokuro Yabukita 3
2nd is Mr. Katsume's Sencha Asatsuyu. Kagoshima

Asatsuyu is called natural Gyokuro by its sweetness, however, the cultivar is very weak so that this is mostly used for blend sencha since the production volume is quite low.

This is limited edition but we are happy to produce 100% Asattsuyu cultivar sencha this year.
Please use 70C to 80C degree and start pouring after 30 seconds.
22652 Katsume Asatsuyu
3rd is Katsume's Sencha Saemidori. Kagoshima

Saemidori is made by crossing Yabukita and Asatsuyu.
The prince of cultivar.
Mr. Katsume is a tea master and competition winner.
This is the best 2015 in his 23 cultivars.
22217 Katsume Saemidori 3
The next is,

Famous Harimaen in Uji, Kyoto.
Organic Gyokuro.
It's been an only organic gyokuro in Japan for a long time.
22606 Harima Gyokuro 3
Organic Hojicha.
Hojicha is roasted green tea.
It looks wild as you see stems ans stalks.
But when you open the package, please smell it. Smoky leaf aroma is so rich and you'll see the artistical skill or roasting.
22610 Harimaen Hojicha 3
Organic matcha ceremonial Grade A (the highest among his matcha)
21992 Uji matcha A 3

Organic matcha ceremonial grade B (the 2nd best)
21993 Uji Matcha B 3

To be continued....

If you have any question, please contact to
www.jp-greentea .co.jp/english

Thank you very much.

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