In the warmth of the first autumn colors of this late September day, in which serene and elegiac hues of summer remain, we want to tell you about some of the Japanese green teas that have punctuated the hectic weather of our last few weeks. But first.
A brief look at the origins of green tea in Japan
“Tea is an elixir for preserving health in old age, an excellent means of prolonging life.”
EISAI MYOAN, HEALTHFUL VIRTUES OF TEA, 1211
In the Land of the Rising Sun, tea has ancestral origins that are sometimes lost in myth. The first leaves of the plant were introduced around 700 AD, by Japanese monks studying in China, where tea originated. There they learned the custom of drinking tea, which was made to resemble powder, and on their return they planted the seeds for medicinal purposes. The founder of Zen philosophy, Eisai Myoan promoted its knowledge and spread throughout the country, thus giving rise to the myth of Japanese teas. It was, thus, cultivated widely and used by monks, the imperial court and the highest social classes, including the samurai.
Japanese Green Teas: Their Nuances
Today, tea (お茶; ocha), often synonymous with green tea (it is the most common variety of the different types of tea), is emblematic of Japanese culture and traditions, and is the most widely consumed beverage in Japan, an essential element of every meal. The main reasons lie in the beneficial and therapeutic virtues it exerts on health and state of mind; it is not sipped merely for pleasure, rather because it is almost medicine: green tea turns out, in fact, to be rich in vitamin C3, helpful in dealing with flu-like states; catechins, antioxidants that protect cells from aging; flavonoids, including the powerful polyphenol EGCG, which has known anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
PREMIUM SENCHA YABUKITA
Sencha Yabukita Premium is the first one we present, one of Japan’s finest Sencha teas. A few days before being picked, it is shaded: this makes it less bitter and pungent than ordinary Sencha, as well as richer in amino acids. Reduced steaming, known as asamushi, produces a bright liquor and a delicate, yet rich flavor: a range of marine and vegetable notes opens in the cup, with a lively orange finish.
FUKAMUSHI BIO
Hailing from Kirishima in the famed Kyūshū region, it is masterfully produced by the Nishi family, pioneers in Japan and around the world for organic footprint cultivation methods. The prolonged steaming process, from which it takes its name, makes the leaves brittle to the point of fragmentation, and although this may at first be a flaw it is, rather, an advantage: it will be easier and more immediate to benefit from the leaf’s nutrients.
The liquor in this Fukamushi, thick and vividly colored, has the scent of sea breeze and a mineral and seaweed flavor, with a sweet gooseberry finish.
TAMARYOKUCHA MUSHISEI
Singular is Tamaryokucha Mushisei, also organically grown, from a prefecture in Nagasaki. Similar in shape and taste to Chinese tea, it is essentially a Sencha whose leaves lack the common needle-like appearance. Two weeks or so before harvest, the plantings are overshadowed: the result is a more balanced and fresh flavor. The infusion, which has a buttery consistency, releases the scent of spinach and pistachio; the flavor, on the other hand, is reminiscent of walnuts, avocado with a fresh, lingering and pleasant finish of green apple.
GYOKURO SAEMIDORI ORGANIC
Gyokuro Seamidori, also from Kyūshū, is one of the finest Japanese green teas that Japanese soil can offer us. Shading, extended to three weeks, prevents the sun from reaching the young leaves, triggering an increase in the production of chlorophyll and amino acids, especially L-Theanine, to which is attributed the pleasant feeling of well-being associated with tea consumption. The bold character of this tea, to be understood away from the usual everyday noise, results in a memorable sensory journey. Full-bodied in its soft jade color, it reveals fresh, sugary aromas that envelop the palate in a wave of savory-umami, tracing that of grilled vegetables, especially zucchini, and then veering toward a very sweet flavor of apple compote and lemon cupcake.
SUN ROUGE
Finally, we want to tell you about Sun Rouge BIO, a tea from the island of Tokunoshima. Its history is rather recent: it only came on the market in 2009, the result of years of study to produce a tea richer in antioxidants and anthocyanins. Much research points to its therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties, which are also effective in combating vision and intestinal problems. When harvested, the buds show a splendid red color, due to a natural pigment produced as a response to UV rays, which we will find in the cup. The infusions that can be made are magical and impactful: the liquor, a purplish hue unusual for a green tea, tends to a fluorescent pink when drops of lemon are poured in. The flavor is reminiscent of almond-crusted salmon, so it is very marine in attack, but immediately turns to the herbaceous and floral, sometimes astringent, notes of hibiscus and freshly picked flowers.
“In the greenest snowfields the green of new herbs.”
KONISHI RAIZAN