Seasonal Tea — Japan

Matcha is powdered green tea from Japan. When whisked vigorously with hot water, it produces a thick, frothy beverage that is rich in flavor, amino acids, and antioxidants. It originated in China during the Tang Dynasty in the form of a coarse, steamed green tea that was compressed into cakes. Pieces of the dried cakes would be roasted and crushed into a powder to be mixed with water. In 1191, a Zen Buddhist monk named Eisai traveled from Japan to China and returned with powdered tea. Over the next couple of centuries, the cultivation and processing of matcha was perfected...

Most sencha is a blend of many different teas. Whether it is made from different cultivars, vintages, harvest seasons, steaming types, or leaf sizes, a sencha is almost always a blend several different teas. Our Sencha Asatsuyu is unusual because it is a single cultivar, medium-steamed tea that was harvested last year during the end of the May. Sencha made from a single cultivar was at one time somewhat unusual. As Western tea drinkers have learned about Japanese tea, the popularity has increased. An understanding that the cultivars and processes are as varied as the ones used in wine production...

You will need: 5 grams Kilogram Organic Matcha fine mesh wire strainer, to be used as a sifter 120 grams of 180°F water small wire whisk small mixing bowl 375 grams of vanilla, or sweet cream iced cream, or shake base milkshake maker or blender stainless steel malt cup Sift the matcha into a small mixing bowl, and add the 180°F water. Whisk for 10 seconds. In a malt cup or blender jar, add ice cream, and gently compress. After the matcha has cooled slightly, pour it over the ice cream. Try not to melt the ice cream too much!...

Yame, located in western Fukuoka Prefecture, is one of the oldest tea producing regions in Japan. It is renowned for its tea famous shaded green teas. The micro-climate there is perfect for kabuse sencha, gyokuro, and matcha. And its small-scale production is conducive to quality. Matcha was brought from China to Japan nearly 1000 years ago where it has been adopted and perfected. Quality is determined by the following factors -  when it was harvested, which cultivars were used, how it was processed, how it was ground, and the color. Ideally the matcha was harvested during the first harvest of...

Kagoshima Prefecture is located on the south end of the southern island of Kyushu in Japan. Since it is located so far south, the weather is warmer, and as a result tea harvests early compared with other Japanese growing regions. Not too long ago, Kagoshima had a reputation for producing inexpensive, commodity teas. In the past 10 years, Kagoshima has shed this reputation by not only improving quality, but through experimentation. I see a wider range of cultivar and processing style coming from Kagoshima compared to other growing regions such as Yame, Uji, and Shizuoka, which tend to follow tradition....