Description

Japan boasts the highest tea production rate per hectare in the entire world, with Sencha being one of the most popular teas cultivated. Due to the Japanese consuming a vast amount of tea, very little is exported; 99% of all tea grown remains in the country. Consequently, most commonly available Sencha originates from China. However, this particular Sencha Fukujyu is a genuine Japanese green tea, cultivated in Shizuoka at the base of the renowned Mount Fuji and harvested during the summer period. Like almost all teas from Japan, this tea is machine-produced and then hand-sorted.

For this Sencha’s creation, the Yabukita cultivar served as the foundation, complemented by the Saemidori, Okumidori, and Meiryoku cultivars. The outcome of this blend of cultivars is a delightful sencha with a robust, grassy flavor. The tea leaves were steamed for just 45-50 seconds, strictly adhering to the asamushi style.

When brewed, it produces a shiny, light olive-green color in the cup. This Sencha Fukujyu is perfect for those who love a strong green tea.

Yabukita cultivar

Every tea plant belongs to the same plant family: Camellia Sinensis. Differences in shape, taste, aroma, and color arise from the various cultivars used in tea plant cultivation. A cultivar is a plant variety crafted by scientists or botanists and isn’t a result of natural mutation.

The Yabukita cultivar is commonly used for Sencha production. Hikosaburo Sugiyama developed the Yabukita cultivar in 1954. This cultivar is frost-resistant, yields consistently, and produces tea with a gentle, balanced flavor. The Yabukita cultivar is easily distinguishable by its long, straight leaves and deep green hue.

Steamed tea

Sencha translates to “steamed tea.” This tea is meticulously processed and lightly steamed before being rolled and dried, giving the tea leaves a delicate and brittle structure.

Steaming marks the major difference compared to Chinese green tea. There are three steaming styles:

1. Asamushi (lightly steamed): Here, tea leaves are briefly steamed, usually for 20 to 40 seconds. The outcome is a lightly steamed sencha with a bright light-green color and mildly grassy flavor. This light steaming method was once the standard in Japan. Soen Nagatani developed this process around 1738 in Ujitawara-cho (Kyoto prefecture).
2. Chumushi or futsumushi (medium steamed): The tea leaves are steamed for an average of 40 to 80 seconds. This produces a green tea that balances between a lightly-steamed asamushi and a deeply-steamed Fukamushi, with a bright light-green color and rich flavor.
3. Fukamushi (deeply steamed): The tea leaves undergo a prolonged steaming process of 80 to 180 seconds, resulting in tea with a dark green hue and a profound, rich flavor. Deeply steamed tea has a steaming duration that’s 2 to 3 times that of lightly-steamed tea. Due to the extended steaming, heat and water penetrate deep into the tea leaves. This method was pioneered in the 1960s in Shizuoka prefecture. Consequently, the Fukamushi method is prevalent throughout Shizuoka, but also in Mie, Kagoshima, and Kyoto.

Our sencha was steamed for approximately 45-50 seconds following the Asamushi style.

Ingredients

Green tea from Japan.