IBR0002 "TSUYUHIKARI" (40g)

Cherry blossom on the back of the tongue. A deep-steamed Sencha carrying a scent most cultivars cannot.

Tsuyuhikari is one of the few cultivars that contains coumarin — the aromatic compound found in cherry leaves — and Ishiyama Tea Factory in Ibaraki's deep-steamed processing lets that quality surface clearly. The bitterness arrives first, full and saturated. Then umami spreads through it, and as the cup cools, a soft cherry blossom note drifts up from the aftertaste.

Brew at 60°C to keep the floral register intact. Over ice, the cherry blossom character deepens rather than disappears.

Point

We thought for a long time about the recipe for "Sakimidori" because this tea is delicious no matter how you brew it.

It has a nice and well-balanced taste, which is unique to organic teas, both at low and high temperatures.

However, we were surprised to learn that organic tea is so rich in flavor. So we recommend brewing at 60°C first to give you the surprise.

If you don't have a temperature-controlled electric kettle or thermometer, use the following method to cool the water.

1. Boil water and transfer to a teacup once.
2. Wait for 2 minutes to allow the temperature to drop to around 80 degrees.

*The temperature drop will vary depending on the shape and material of the teacup.

How to Brew

1. Prepare the water at 80 degrees Celsius.
2. Put the tea leaves in the teapot and pour the hot water.
3. After 60 seconds, pour the water into the teapot, shaking it slightly.
4. The last drop from the teapot is a superb drop of tea, rich in the flavor of the tea leaves. Pour every last drop of tea gently.

Reference

• TEMPERATURE GUIDE FOR BREWING A NICE TEA

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In fact, green tea, black tea, and oolong tea are all from the same tea tree. These tea leaves are put in different tea-producing processes, which makes different taste and aroma from the exact same tea leaves. Ishiyama tea factory cultivates about 20 tea cultivars in Sashima, Ibaraki.

Although Sashima is not a large tea-producing area, it has many tea farmers who cultivate in unique ways that are not seen in other tea-producing areas. Yasuhiro and Namiki, the fifth-generation president of Ishiyama tea factory, are young tea farmers actively try producing black tea, oolong tea, and withering green tea as well as Sencha(green tea). They try cultivating myriads of tea varieties through trial and error every year.

Their “Yamakai” features its unique flavor and moderate bitterness particular to sashima-cha: The bitterness clears the umami that’s spreading slowly, which slightly leaves a bitter aftertaste on your tongue. Their Yamakai of this year has an interesting characteristic that is a slight mayonnaise-like flavor.