Sencha is the most common tea consumed in Japan and accounts for 80% of Japanese tea production. All Japanese people should be drinking Sencha and Fukamushi-sencha even unconsciously. How much do you know about them?

What are Sencha and Fukamushi-sencha?

Sencha originally referred to “a tea to drink by infusing.” However, today, it refers to a tea produced by blocking the oxidation of the fresh leaves with heat, kneading the leaves to dry, and giving them a needle-shape. In general, Sencha is steamed for 30–40 seconds. If it is steamed double, for 60–80 seconds, the tea is called “Fukamushi-sencha.”

Sencha was born more than 300 years ago during the Edo Period. Tea culture spread among ordinary people then. They started infusing tea leaves to drink tea. At that time, any tea to drink by infusing was collectively called Sencha. Its color was blackish and its flavor was not good.

In 1738, Soen Nagatani, who was later called the originator of Japanese green tea, invented “the steaming method” as a new manufacturing way, making use of existing tea manufacturing methods. It changed the liquid color from brown to green and improved the flavor. Tea produced in this method became popular across the country and led to today’s Sencha.

Features of Sencha and Fukamushi-sencha

Fully-sunbathed tea leaves are used for Sencha so that the astringent ingredient catechin and the bitter ingredient caffeine increase to provide astringent and bitter flavors. However, the tea contains full of umami of the ingredient theanine, you can enjoy balanced flavors of astringency, bitterness, and umami. The liquid color is deep green. An invigorating, refreshing sent arises due to the use of fresh buds

Fukamushi-sencha has a weak aroma due to the prolonged steaming process, which gives less astringency than a normal Sencha. As a result, the tea provides a mild flavor with more sweetness and richness. The liquid color is deep green. In addition, Fukamushi-sencha’s fine leaves are suited for cold-brew tea, and also easy to brew, leaving fewer ingredients in the leaf.

Features of Sencha ingredients and Fukamushi-sencha ingredients

Unoxidized tea skips the oxidation process so that its ingredients and nutrients change little. The leaf keeps a great deal of the original nutrients almost as they are. It is full of vitamin C, amino acids, tannin for antioxidant effect, beta-carotene for immune enhancement and cancer prevention, and many other nutrient components.

Features of Sencha process and Fukamushi-sencha process

The plucked leaves are steamed, and repeatedly kneaded in various ways, and dried. The leaves should be steamed first to block the activity of oxidative enzymes so that they do not get oxidized. This process is called “deactivation.” Then, the leaves are fired (or roasted) and sorted alternatively. Lastly, they undergo blending to equalize the quality to become a product.

Production area of Sencha

Sencha, the most produced tea in Japan, has its production areas across the country, especially in Shizuoka Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, Mie Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Kagoshima Prefectures.

How to drink Sencha

Sencha is sold with tea bags and easily prepared. However, the tea brewed from the leaves tastes especially good.

Approximately 6 g of tea leaf serves 2 people. Hot water can be used, but bitterness and astringency are also extracted at high temperature. For high-quality Sencha, it is recommended to use water of about 70 degrees C to extract only umami in the leaves for a nice flavor. For Fukamushi-sencha, please drink to the last drop because even the leaves remaining at the bottom of a cup contain full of umami and nutrients.

<Related Link>

How to Brew Nice Sencha / Fukamushi-Sencha(Green Tea)

Manufacturing Process of Unoxidized Tea(Green Tea)

What Kinds of Ingredients/Nutrition are In Unoxidized Tea(Green Tea)?

Tea can be classified into “unoxidized tea,” “semi-oxidized tea,” “oxidized tea,” and “fermented tea” according to the fermentation/oxidation degree. This article guides you through “semi-oxidized tea,” which is least-talked-about among them.

What is semi-oxidized tea?

Semi-oxidized tea is a tea that has been oxidized halfway. “Oolong tea” is representative of it. You can consider it is just in the middle between black tea (oxidized tea) and green tea (unoxidized tea). Oolong tea used to be the only semi-oxidized tea in Japan. However, an unusual semi-oxidized Hōjicha (roasted green tea) produced by some farms is becoming a hot topic these days. In China, the home of tea, semi-oxidized tea is further classified into three types according to the oxidation degree.

Features of semi-oxidized tea’s flavor, aroma, color

Just think about oolong tea, and you will easily understand that semi-oxidized tea has a pleasant scent that is more aromatic than green tea. It is slightly bitter, but has a deep, savory flavor. The refreshing tea is often preferred after a greasy meal with a strong taste, such as meat and Chinese food.

Features of semi-oxidized tea’s ingredients

Tea leaves contain various ingredients. The process of oxidation yields aromatic components to make aromas and pigment components to make colors. Catechin is a component that influences the color of tea. As oxidation turns the liquid color (the color of brewed tea) redder, black tea, an oxidized tea, has a red liquid color. In the case of semi-oxidized tea (oolong tea), which is oxidized only half, the liquid color stays brownish, halfway from green to red.

Features of semi-oxidized tea process

Semi-oxidized tea’s fresh leaves are sun-dried and then spread and roasted in the room for some time. The roasted tea leaves are put in a cloth bag for a while. After kneading and drying, the tea is ready. While oxidized tea is placed in a humid room to be fully oxidized, semi-oxidized tea undergoes roasting to halt oxidization.

Types of semi-oxidized tea

It is uncommon in Japan, but in China the name of semi-oxidized tea varies by oxidation degree.

White tea (bai cha)

White tea is the least oxidized semi-oxidized tea and also called “weakly oxidized tea.” Its manufacturing process does not include “kneading.”

Blue tea (qing cha/oolong tea)

What we know as oolong tea is a member of blue tea. Its oxidation degree varies a lot by type, but blue tea is the most common semi-fermented tea.

Yello tea (huang cha)

Yellow tea has undergone a special heating treatment. After ripening the half-oxidized leaves, the liquid color becomes yellow, as its name suggests.

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How to Brew Nice Oolong Tea(Chinese Tea)

Manufacturing Process of Semi-Oxidized Tea(Oolong Tea)

What Kinds of Ingredients/Nutrition are In Oolong Tea(Semi-Oxidized Tea)?

The black tea you usually drink is “oxidized tea.” This article is all about the most commonly consumed tea: oxidized tea (black tea).

What is oxidized tea (black tea)?

Oxidized tea is a tea whose leaves have been fully oxidized. “Black tea” is oxidized tea.

There are many cultivars and types of tea, but there are basically only two kinds: Chinese and Assam. Most types of oxidized tea are made from Assam tea trees, whose leaves are easier to oxidize.

Features of oxidized tea’s (black tea’s) flavor, aroma, color

Oxidized tea (black tea) is featured by a beautiful red color and aromatic, glamorous, gentle scent and flavor. Of course, oxidized tea (black tea) varies a lot in flavor and aroma by the production area’s climate and natural features. In particular, the world’s three major black teas; namely, Darjeeling tea from India, Uva tea from Sri Lanka, and Keemun tea from China have distinctive flavors and aromas, which are totally different from our usual black tea from a plastic bottle or a tea bag. The wide variety features oxidized tea (black tea) and attracts us.

Features of oxidized tea ingredients

Besides the leaf’s original ingredients, oxidized tea (black tea) contains ingredients produced by the oxidation of tea leaves. Theaflavins and thearubigins are representative of the ingredients that produce an aromatic scent and make a beautiful red color of the tea.

Features of oxidized tea process

As its name suggests, oxidized tea is a tea that has undergone oxidation. Black tea goes through the process called rolling to activate oxidative enzymes that are important to produce the tea’s aroma, flavor, richness, and liquid color. Then it undergoes the processes including oxidation, drying, and sorting (grading) to hit the shelves of stores.

Oxidized tea (Black tea)

Lastly, let us see oxidized tea’s production areas and origin.

Major production areas of oxidized tea

In Japan, the mainstream is green tea. In fact, black tea is produced in over 20 countries and accounts for 70% of the world’s tea production. In particular, the following areas are well-known.

India

India is famous for black tea. Its production volume of black tea is by far the largest in the world and amounts to 1 million tons per year. Darjeeling tea from India is chosen as one of the world’s three major black teas. Its pleasant aroma is praised as “the champagne of black teas.” It is also consumed a lot in Japan. For your information, Assam tea, which is as famous as Darjeeling tea, is also from India.

Sri Lanka

Black tea from Sri Lanka is called “Ceylon tea” and beloved all over the world. Sri Lanka is the producer of Uva tea, one of the world’s three major black teas. Sri Lanka is growing tea mainly around a chain of mountains. Tea in Sri Lanka is graded according to the altitude. The production volume of black tea is the second largest in the world and amounts to 320 thousand tons.

Kenya

Most Japanese people think of Kenya as a coffee producer. However, it actually produces the third largest amount of black tea in the world, or 300 thousand tons, closely behind Sri Lanka. They export it mainly to Europe. Surprisingly, their history of tea is long. They started making tea plantations during the First World War.

China

China produces “Keemun tea,” one of the world’s three major black teas, while we only think about its Chinese tea such as oolong tea. In fact, China is the birthplace of black tea. The annual production volume is 50 thousand tons. Although the number is comparatively less than the other black tea producing countries, the volume is rapidly increasing with the recent focus on black tea production.

Japanese black tea

It is less known but Japanese black tea has been produced since the Meiji Period. The high-quality Japanese black tea won a gold prize at an international food competition. It would suit everybody’s tastes with easy-to-drink, mild flavor and aroma.

Indonesia

Indonesia’s black tea production is currently only the 4^th in the world. However, the country had as much black tea as India until the Second World War burned off their tea plantations. Their tea has similar features to Ceylon tea. Its characteristic mild, easy-to-drink flavor somewhat lacks richness so it is mainly used for blending. The annual volume is 130 thousand tons.

The origin of black tea

The history of tea originated in China. It dates back to a period before Christ. However, the history of black tea is comparatively new; it started after 1720. Black tea has several possible origins, but it is likely that “Wuhan tea,” a semi-oxidized tea, which was collected in Fujian Province, became the mainstream of tea in Western Europe, and developed into today’s common black tea after trials and errors including the increased degree of oxidation. Later on, Assam cultivars suited for black tea were found in India, which promoted tea cultivation in India and other surrounding countries like Sri Lanka. Then, black tea spread all over the world.

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How to Brew Nice Black Tea

Manufacturing Process of Oxidized Tea(Black Tea)

What Kinds of Ingredients/Nutrition are In Black Tea(Oxidized Tea)?

You may not be familiar with the term “unoxidized tea”.

In this article, I’m going to explain about unoxidized tea.

What is unoxidized tea?

Unoxidized tea is a tea variety made from tea leaves with little oxidation, and the most of Japanese tea (green tea) is unoxidized tea.

By the way, the well-oxidized tea leaves are black tea, and the half-oxidized tea leaves are oolong tea.

It is an interesting point of tea leaves that even tea leaves picked from the same tea tree can be made into tea with completely different taste and aroma depending upon the oxidation condition.

Characteristics of taste, aroma and color

It depends upon the variety and the cultivar of tea, but basically unoxidized tea has a delicate taste and aroma, and it becomes very beautiful green when brewed.

As there are many varieties and cultivars of Japanese tea, it is difficult to generalize, but when you imagine "Taste, aroma and color of Japanese tea" you might realize those of unoxidized tea.

Characteristics of ingredients

Unoxidized tea does not have an oxidation process, so the ingredients and nutrients do not change easily, and it contains the rich nutrients that tea leaves originally have as they are.

It is packed with a lot of nutrients such as vitamin C, amino acids, tannins that are expected to have an antioxidant effect, beta carotene that is said to be effective for immune enhancement and cancer prevention.

Characteristics of the unoxidized tea production process

It takes time and effort to produce unoxidized tea.

First, as a preliminary preparation, picked raw tea leaves are steamed, then rubbed repeatedly in various ways and dried.

After that, the process of heating (something like roasting) and sorting is repeated, and finally blending is done to make the quality uniform.

By the way, by steaming first, the function of the oxidase is stopped and oxidation is prevented. This is called “inactivation”.

Varieties of unoxidized tea

There are many varieties of unoxidized tea. You can find some of them below.

Sencha (Steeped green tea)

About 70% of tea consumed in Japan is Sencha. It is steamed and rubbed right after picking Shincha (First picked tea).

Fukamushi-Sencha (Deep steamed steeped green tea)

Fukamushi-Sencha is made by steaming it 2 ~ 3 times longer than Sencha. The longer the steaming time, the less fragrant, but the taste is sweeter.

Matcha and Tencha

Matcha is made from “Tencha”. Tencha is the only tea made without rubbing.

Kamairicha

Kamairicha is made by roasting in an iron pot instead of steaming with a method introduced from China. By roasting it, you can smell the aroma that other teas don't have.

Hojicha (Roasted green tea)

Hojicha(roasted green tea) is made by roasting Bancha or Stem tea over high heat until it becomes brown. It is characterized by its savory flavor and aroma.

Kabusecha

Kabusecha is a tea produced through “covered cultivation,” by which growing fresh shoots are covered to avoid sunlight. Its Japanese name can be literally translated into “covered/crowned tea.”

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How to Brew Nice Sencha / Fukamushi-Sencha(Green Tea)

Manufacturing Process of Unoxidized Tea(Green Tea)

What Kinds of Ingredients/Nutrition are In Unoxidized Tea(Green Tea)?

The flavor and aroma of tea vary by types, cultivation methods, manufacturing processes, etc. This article introduces “Kabusecha,” which is often confused with Gyokuro.

What is Kabusecha?

Kabusecha is a tea produced through “cover culture,” by which growing fresh shoots are covered to avoid sunlight. Its Japanese name can be literally translated into “covered/crowned tea.” Kabusecha tends to be mistaken for Gyokuro, which is also produced through cover culture, but Kabusecha is not Gyokuro.

A big difference between Gyokuro and Kabusecha is how long they are covered. While Gyokuro is covered for about 20 days, Kabusecha is covered for a week or so. Kabusecha is often considered “in the middle between Sencha (steeped green tea) and Gyokuro.”

Features of Kabusecha

Kabusecha is a tea that has both Sencha’s advantages and Gyokuro’s advantages. It cannot beat Gyokuro in umami and richness. However, with its slight bitterness, Kabusecha’s sweetness and umami are felt better than Sencha. It provides a mild flavor and rich aroma. Its liquid color is brighter than Sencha. Thanks to its lower price compared with Gyokuro, Kabusecha allows you to enjoy a flavor of high-graded tea casually.

In addition, the flavor of Kabusecha changes according to the temperature of water and the way of steaming. When it is brewed thoroughly at low temperature, the tea provides a strong sweetness and umami like Gyokuro. When it is brewed quickly in hot water, the flavor becomes refreshing like Sencha. Thus, you can enjoy adjusting the tea flavor according to your mood on the day.

Definition of Kabusecha

Kabusecha is a tea that has undergone cover culture, in which the leaves are covered with straw, mushiro (Japanese straw mats), cheesecloth, or others to block sunlight before picking.Compared with Gyokuro, Kabusecha’s cover culture is simple. It takes one week or so and blocks only about 50% of the sunlight.

Features of Kabusecha ingredients

In addition to vitamins, catechins, caffeine, potassium, and other ingredients contained in normal tea, Kabusecha is rich in amino acids, which become umami, although the amount of them is less than Gyokuro.

Features of Kabusecha process

The manufacturing process of Kabusecha is basically the same as Sencha. What differs is its cultivation process. As mentioned above, Kabusecha is grown in the cultivation method called cover culture.

Production areas of Kabusecha

Kabusecha is produced in many tea-growing areas across Japan including Fukuoka Prefecture, Kagoshima Prefecture, Nara Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, and Shizuoka Prefecture. Especially Mie Prefecture’s production volume accounts for more than one third of the nation’s entire output.

The tea from Mie Prefecture is called Ise Tea. The Kabusecha completed in Yokkaichi City and Kameyama City is particularly high-graded because they stop picking at the second picked tea season.

How to prepare Kabusecha

While the best temperature to brew Sencha is about 80 degrees C, about 60 degrees C is the best for Gyokuro. Please change brewing temperature according to your preferred drinking way. Low brewing temperature distinguishes the flavors of sweetness and umami. High brewing temperature balances out bitter and astringent flavors.

<Related Link>

How to Brew Nice Sencha / Fukamushi-Sencha(Green Tea)

Manufacturing Process of Unoxidized Tea(Green Tea)

Covered Cultivation of Tea

What Kinds of Ingredients/Nutrition are In Unoxidized Tea(Green Tea)?

Hojicha makes a brown liquid color and aromatic flavor when it is brewed, which may make you think Hojicha is a different type of tea from green tea, but it is a type of green tea. These days it is popular among the younger generation, being often used for snacks and other drinks such as Hojicha latte, Hojicha chocolate, Hojicha ice cream, etc. This article introduces it in detail.

What is Hojicha?

Hojicha is common to us and frequently drunk. However, it tends to be recognized vaguely, oftentimes misunderstood as a different type of tea from green tea, or even as Bancha (a tea picked in late seasons). Hojicha is a type of green tea. It is produced by roasting Sencha (steeped green tea) or Bancha. In general, the fresh shoots of first picked tea are rarely used. It is the leaves and stem parts of third picked tea or even later one that are preferred. As a result, Hojicha is comparatively cheap and familiar to us.

Many parts of the history of Hojicha are unclear without official documents. Some say people started roasting the unsold tea in an attempt to preserve it under a great depression in the early Showa Period, when tea was not selling well. Others say Hojicha existed already in the Meiji Period.

Features of Hojicha

Hojicha is featured by its brown liquid color and the aromatic fragrance and flavor that arises when roasting leaves. The easy-to-drink tea provides a fresh flavor with no bitterness and astringency.

Features of Hojicha ingredients

Hojicha contains various ingredients including vitamins with beauty effects and tannins with antioxidant effects. It is also drunk as a diet beverage. Among them, “pyrazine,” the ingredient formed by heating amino acids, is the one that makes the Hojicha’s distinctive pleasant aroma.

Features of Hojicha process

Hojicha is produced from fresh tea leaves, which undergo steaming, kneading and drying, and roasting. Actually, you can make Hojicha easily at home. You just have to roast your tea leaves in the frying pan. It takes 15 minutes or so to complete. Making delicious Hojicha also fills your room with a pleasant tea aroma.

How to prepare Hojicha

The key is to brew the leaves at high temperature to bring out an aromatic fragrance. You can control the strength of flavor by adjusting brewing time.

<Related Link>

Manufacturing Process of Hojicha

What Kinds of Ingredients/Nutrition are In Hojicha(Roasted Green Tea)?

There are more than 100 tea cultivars in Japan alone, and there are an enormous number of cultivars in the world.

However, there are only two groups of tea plants that are the origin of so many tea cultivars on the earth. 

Assam group and China group

All tea cultivars including black tea, oolong tea and green tea, are roughly divided into two groups: Assam group (large leaf tea) and China group (small leaf tea).

Branched from these two groups, various kinds of tea cultivars have been produced.

By the way, almost all of Japanese tea belongs to China group.

Characteristics of Assam group

Assam group is mainly used for black tea because it is rich in tannin, has a rich aroma, and it is easily oxidized.

It is grown mainly in Sri Lanka and India because it is sensitive to cold and it likes hot and humid climate.

Assam group has no particular plucking tie and it is picked 40 ~ 50 times a year.

By the way, the best tea leaves can be picked from March to June and from September to November, which is called the quality season. In particular, tea leaves picked in March and April is called first flush, and you can enjoy a particularly rich taste and aroma.

Characteristics of China group

China group is often used for green tea because it has less tannin, has a delicate taste and aroma, and is difficult to oxidize.

It is not only resistant to cold and grown in cold and dry places, but also adaptable and grown in hot and humid places. It is grown in Japan, China and Taiwan.

From the beginning of spring to the beginning of autumn, China group is picked about four times a year. In Japan, the first tea picked that year is called “Ichibancha or Shincha (first picked tea)” and the tea picked at that time is the highest quality and is traded at a high price.

History of Assam group

Assam group was a wild tea tree found in Assam, India. However, there were various difficulties before it became widespread throughout the world.

In the 1780s, imported tea trees of China group were already planted in India.

The people in India were looking for wild tea trees in their own country, not from China, but it was hard to find.

In 1823, British botanist Robert Bruce visited in Assam, India, and discovered a tea tree he had never seen. This was the discovery of Assam group (later).

However, the Indian botanist's verdict was “This is not a tea tree, but a camellia tree.”.

It was not recognized as a tea tree at that time. Robert Bruce died in despair.

It was finally recognized as a tea tree thanks to the efforts of Robert’s younger brother Charles, who took over his will. It was the birth of Assam group.

Under the direction of Charles, the first Indian green tea made from Assam group was produced in 1838. In the following year, it was auctioned off in London at a high price.

This had raised expectations and interests in the tea business, but it had been difficult.

The land of Assam had been inhabited by dangerous wild animals and poisonous snakes, so it had been hard to develop.

Meanwhile, infectious diseases such as malaria and cholera spread and many workers died.

Tea leaves of Assam group was managed to produce, but it was too hard to secure a transportation route for exportation.

However, Assam group was a hope for the people of that time, so they had never given up.

As a result, tea production took off around 1850, 27 years after the first discovery, and the cultivation of Assam group tea trees began in Southeast Asia and Africa.

After that, black tea was born, and it has spread all over the world, mainly in the UK, until now.

History of China group

The origin of tea is China. The history of tea is started before Christ. The tea has existed since ancient times and it appears in ancient mythology.

There are various theories about the origin of tea, but the theory that the first tea tree was found in the southwest area of Yunnan is widely accepted.

Around this time, tea leaves were recognized as a medicine and began to be consumed as a luxury around 59 B.C.

Around 760, the world's oldest tea book, Chakyo (The Classic of Tea) was completed, and the way of drinking and brewing tea became close to the current style.

Chinese tea arrived in Japan in 805. The history of Japanese tea has started from here.

A long time later, around 1610, Chinese tea was imported to Europe for the first time.

Chinese tea was brought to Taiwan even later, around 1810.

Assam group was discovered more than 10 years later.

The history of Assam group is much shorter than that of the China group, and it is a very new variety that was discovered less than 200 years ago.

In this article, I’m going to introduce “Yutakamidori”, the second largest cultivar in Japan.

Characteristics of “Yutakamidori”

Yutakamidori has the following characteristics.

Resistant to diseases but vulnerable to cold

Although Yutakamidori is resistant to mold diseases such as anthracnose, it is susceptible to frost damages and vulnerable to cold climate, so it is grown mainly in the warm Kyushu region.

It has a high fertility and a high yield, so it is a tea cultivar that is profitable for farmers in the warm and frost-resistant areas.

The production area is mainly Kagoshima Prefecture.

Although Yutakamidori accounts for only 5% of the total production in Japan, it accounts for 30% in Kagoshima Prefecture and is a very popular cultivar.

They are often cultivated in southern countries because they are sensitive to cold, and they are often cultivated in Miyazaki Prefecture other than Kagoshima.

Kagoshima is now known for its delicious tea, but there was a time when it had a bad reputation as “The tea in Kagoshima is cheap and not so good.” It is said that Yutakamidori overturned that image and brought Kagoshima to the famous tea production area.

Early harvest time

Yutakamidori is an early ripening cultivar with an early harvest time and picked more than 5 days earlier than Yabukita. Generally, new tea is picked on Hachiju-Hachiya (the 88th day), counting from Risshun (the first day of spring). Yutakamidori is called Hashiri-Shincha (Early-First picked tea) because it is picked on the 77th day after Risshun. Yutakamidori is distributed throughout Japan at the end of April, a little earlier than other teas.

Taste of “Yutakamidori”

The southern part of the country, including Kagoshima, where Yutakamidori is grown, tea leaves get more bitter and astringent due to the long hours of sunlight. In order to prevent this, the tea field is covered with a black cover from a week before harvest to block out the sunlight. This method reduces bitterness and astringency.

In addition, by lengthening the time of “steaming” which is the production process of Sencha (Steeped green tea), it becomes strong and mild taste.

Yutakamidori is a cultivar with attractive balance of astringency and sweetness, rich and deep tastes, and beautiful light blue color.

Even if you've never heard of the name “Yabukita” you probably drink it without realizing it. That is Yabukita, the most produced cultivar of green tea in Japan.

In this article, I’m going to introduce Yabukita cultivar. 

"Yabukita" is the standard for green tea

There are more than 100 Japanese tea cultivars, but nearly 80% of the green tea produced in Japan is Yabukita. In some areas, it's as high as 90%.

Of course, even if it's the same cultivar, the taste will change a little depending on the land where it's grown and how it's processed, so it doesn’t mean “the same cultivar = exactly the same taste”.

Characteristics of Yabukita

The reason why Yabukita has been cultivated all over Japan is the outstanding characteristics of Yabukita.

Well-balanced taste

Yabukita is famous for its excellent quality. In particular, the quality of Sencha (steeped green tea) is highly regarded as “extremely good”.

It has a well-balanced taste of astringency, umami, sweetness and richness, and is loved by everyone

Easy to grow

Yabukita is not only of good quality but also easy to grow because it is a wide regional adaptable cultivar. It can be grown anywhere in Japan.

In addition, Yabukita is strong against cold and resistant to frost damages, so that the color of its leaves can be kept clean even in cold places and it is hard to wither.

Stable quality

Nowadays, it is common to grow tea with cuttings, but people used to plant seeds to grow tea trees.

By growing the tea from seeds, the quality of the tea varies depending on how it is grown. When tea farmers have been struggling with this problem, Yabukita, a cultivar of a stable supply of high-quality tea appeared.

It is said that tea is harvested in 5 to 8 years and replanted about once every 30 years.

Therefore, selecting tea cultivars is an important task that determines the fate of tea fields. Yabukita became popular because they can produce high-quality tea stably.

Have a high yield

Yabukita is originally a variety with a high yield, and since it sprouts (the emergence of new buds from a tea leaf. Farmers pick the first tea in about a month after it has sprouted.) at a time when it is less susceptible to frost damage, it can achieve a higher yield than other cultivars.

The biggest characteristic of Yabukita is that it has high quality, high yield, and is grown easily .

It is the reason why Yabukita spread all over Japan.

History of Yabukita

The history of Yabukita started when it was discovered in Shizuoka in 1908.

Yabukita and Yabuminami

SUGIYAMA Hikosaburo, who was a tea researcher at that time, developed a bamboo grove in Shizuoka, and created a tea field where he conducted various researches on tea. Once, two excellent tea trees were selected in the tea field.

Of the two trees selected, the tea tree planted on the north side of the bamboo grove was named “Yabukita” and the tea tree planted on the south side of that was named “Yabu minami”.

As a result of continuous observation and experiments, Yabukita turned out to be better than Yabuminami, so Yabukita was finally chosen. After that, the current Yabukita was made by repeated breeding.

The rapidly expanding in Showa period

Yabukita was not evaluated immediately.

After the War, more than 10 years after SUGIYAMA Hikosaburo’s death, Yabukita gained a high reputation and was designated as a recommended cultivar of Shizuoka Prefecture. It was also selected a registered cultivar of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. So Yabukita was rapidly spreading throughout Japan.

In 1972, “Yabukita” occupies 88% of tea fields in Japan.

Designated as a natural monument of Shizuoka.

Yabukita's mother tree, which was discovered more than 100 years ago and made the history of green tea, actually still exists today and has fresh, green leaves.

Yabukita's mother tree is designated as a natural monument of Shizuoka Prefecture. Although the tree is now over 110 years old, locals and tea-loving tourists still gather to see it.

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Today, I will describe the variety of the “Japanese Tea”. 

What’s “Japanese Tea”?

“Japanese Tea” means the tea produced in Japan as it literally means.

It has many varieties and types. I guess most of you remind Sencha(green tea), Hojicha(roasted green tea) or Matcha when you heard about “Japanese tea”, but surprisingly, black tea and oolong tea are also produced in Japan.

Did you know that these tea are all produced from same plant? The difference in these types of tea is caused only by cultivation methods and processing.

In this article, I will introduce the types and differences of Japanese tea, and makes you more familiar with it!

What makes difference in types of Japanese tea?

The answer to this question is fermentation(oxidation) of tea leaves.

Accurately, the “fermentation” here is not a chemical change by yeast or microorganisms, but an oxidation of the tea leaves. Only Pu’er tea and some types of tea are created by actual fermentation, and many others are created by oxidation. 

It is really confusing, but in the tea industry, the word “fermentation” has been used commonly for some reasons.)  To distinguish both of them, we will explain them as an “oxidation” in this article.

The oxidation of tea leaves starts soon after the harvest, and the changes of the color, taste and scent are all caused by this. Depends on how the tea leaves are oxdized, the types of the tea differs. 

Tea leaves with almost no oxidation become Sencha(green tea), and full oxidation become black tea. Oolong tea and some chinese tea are the middle of them.

Of course, there is an aptitude for types of tea depends on tea tree variety, but we can produce any types of tea from same tea tree.

Let’s look at the types of Japanese tea one by one.

Types of Green tea

As I talked before, green tea is produced without oxidation. Farmers steam the tea leaves soon after harvest to stop oxidation of the leaves. By preventing oxidation, tea leaves keep its beautiful color and umami ingredients.

Sencha

Sencha is the most popular and produced tea in Japan. 

The flavor of Sencha is usually expressed in terms of umami, sweetness, astringency(shibumi), and bitterness, just like food. Sencha has a good balance of astringency and sweetness and is characterized by a clear green color.

This is the most standard “Japanese Tea” to japanese people.

Fukamushi (Deep Steamed) Sencha

Fukamushi Sencha is one of the types of Sencha with 2~3 times longer steamed time compared to normal Sencha. Steaming process prevents tea leaves from oxidation and  softens the leaves and makes it easy to process. Currently, about 70% of sencha is produced as this type.

Longer steaming time makes the tea leaves softer and finer, it means the color and the taste can be come out easier than normal sencha.

That’s why Fukamushi Sencha is characterized by a deep green color and rich taste.

Gyokuro

Rich umami and refreshing aroma. Gyokuro is the finest tea in Japanese tea.

To create Gyokuro, farmers cover the tea leaves to block the sunlight off from about 20 days before the harvest. 

 “Theanine”, the umami ingredient of tea leaves, changes to “Catechin”, a bitter ingredient, due to sunlight. Avoiding the sunlight prevents Theanine from turning into Catechin, and a tea with a mild astringency and rich umami will be produced.

This covered culture also adds a laver-like scent to the tea leaves. It is also a characteristic scent of Gyokuro and Matcha

Light blue color, aroma, rich taste. It can be said that the best green tea is taken.

The photo above is the Gyokuro stem tea, the color is more bluish than normal stem tea.

Kabusecha

Gyokuro is created by covering the tea leaves for more than 20days, whereas only 3~10days for Kabusecha. Therefore, Kabusecha has a both characters of Gyokuro and Sencha in terms of taste and its ingredients. (To be accurate, the way of covering tea leaves are slightly different with Gyokuro and Kabusecha.)

You can feel the rich taste like Gyokuro when you make a tea with 50~60℃ water, and  nice balance of sweetness and bitterness when higher than 70℃.

It is a good choice when you want a fine tea with reasonable price. 

Matcha

Recently, Matcha is pretty popular in France, the US and many other country.

Matcha is made by grinding the raw tea (Teacha) with a stone mill, and same as Gyokuro, Matcha is made by covered culture for over 20days.

Matcha is usually used in the tea ceremony, and characterised by its ceremonial beauty.   Also, it has the advantage that it can incorporate all water-insoluble ingredients that do not dissolve in hot water.

It is also made in Shizuoka and Mie, starting with Uji in Kyoto.

Kukicha, Bocha(Stem tea)

Kukicha is the tea not using leaves but stems. In some areas, it is sometimes called Boucha.

In particular, stems of high-quality Sencha and Gyokuro are called “Shiraore”, and in Kyoto, Gyokuro stem is called “Karigane”.

Actually, tea stems contains more rich umami ingredients than leaves. Also stems don’t photosynthesize as much as leaves. It means Teanine doesn’t turn into Catechine, therefore stems can keep a large part of Theanine in it.

Rich umami and sweetness, and fresh scent. Tea stems are as nice as leaves. 

Kamairicha

Instead of steaming the leaves, Kamairicha is made by roasting in Kama(metal pot) to stop the oxidation of the tea leaves. The roasting aroma is called “Kamaka”, and it makes light and clear taste.

Unlike Sencha, there is no process of adjusting the shapes of the tea leaves, so the leaves are curled, this is also one of the characteristics of Kamairicha. 

In Japan, it is made around Saga Ureshino City in Kyushu. 

Bancha

After the 1st flash is  harvested in May, 2nd and 3rd flash is picked in June-July and autumn/winter tea picked in September, they are called Bancha. Not only tea leaves but also stems may be used.

Tea leaves grown under the strong sunlight in the summer time have a lot of Catechins, and conversely, low content of Theanine. Unlike Sencha or Gyokuro, it features a clear taste and easy-to-drink with nice balance of astringency and bitterness.

Recently, it is also used for plastic bottle tea because of its low price.

The photo above is a tea roasted bancha stem.

Houjicha

Houjicha is roasted tea, and characterised by the roasting aroma.

When roasted, Catechin turns into an insoluble ingredient and Caffeine also sublimes. That makes a Houjicha with less bitterness and astringency and less irritation to the body.

The price is cheaper because Bancha and Kukicha is usually used for Houjicha, 

In Japan, sometimes Houjicha is used in sweets like Matcha.

Genmaicha

Genmaicha is the tea made from the blend of tea and roasted rice. The biggest feature is the roasting aroma of the rice.

Same as Houjicha, because it is made with added scent, Bancha is usually used for Genmaicha

Black tea

Black tea is created with the highest degree of oxidation. While oxidation process, color and aroma of tea leaves change, and becomes a tea stand out with nice aroma, bitterness and astringency.

Koucha(Black Tea)

In contrast to Sencha which is made with no oxidation, Black tea is made after full oxidation.

Currently, 60% of the black tea is produced in Darjeeling(India), Keemun(China) and Uva(Sri Lankan).

We only deal in Japanese black tea. The production of the black tea in Japan is quite small, but the taste is enough competitive with world’s famous black tea. 

Types of Semi-Fermented tea

Semi-fermented tea is mainly produced in China and Taiwan, brings out a unique aroma by oxidation. Depending on the degree of oxidation, it can be White tea, Yellow tea, Oolong tea.

If the Sencha is assumed as the degree of oxidation of 0 and Black tea is 100, 30-70 will be classified as Semi-Fermented tea.

Oolong Tea

In the above example, Oolong tea is made with a degree of oxidation of about 70.

Mainly, Oolong tea is produced in China and Taiwan, and some are close to green tea and others close to black tea depending on the degree of oxidation.

Types of Fermented Tea

As I talked before, green tea, black tea and semi-fermented tea are created by oxidation of the tea leaves. The teas created by real “fermentation” are called fermented teas, these teas are created by the yeast or microorganism.

Pu’er tea is the most popular one, and there are some varieties in Japan such as Goishicha(Kouchi prefecture), Awa-bancha(Tokushima prefecture) and so on.

If you know the type of the Japanese tea, tea can be more enjoyable

Today, we have introduced only the tea with large volume of production in Japan, but there are many types of the tea exist other than them. The produced method differs, of course, the fun of tea is also different.

Even though fine tea leaves, the taste will be so bad with 100-degree hot water.

Gyokuro is not a tea that you can drink like beer even if you are thirsty.

Please come to know tea and find the best way to enjoy it.