The secret of Japanese tea

Thomas Grmer
Vol. 1/2009

Contents

Japanese tea ........................................................................................................................ 3 The history of tea from a Japanese viewpoint ................................................................... 4 Tea production in Japan ....................................................................................................... 7 The little difference Japan vs. China ................................................................................. 11 Where does tea come from?............................................................................................... 12 Tea varieties ....................................................................................................................... 13 Matcha / Tencha ................................................................................................................. 14 Shincha / Gyokuro ........................................................................................................... 15 Kabusecha / Sencha ........................................................................................................... 16 Bancha / Kukicha / Hojicha ................................................................................................. 17 Genmaicha / Tamaryokucha ............................................................................................... 18 Price indicator ..................................................................................................................... 19 How Japanese tea should taste............................................................................................ 20 Tips and tricks for more enjoyable tea-drinking .................................................................. 21

Japanese tea

Together with China, Japan is the oldest tea nation in the world. With a history spanning more than 1,200 years, even today tea remains a very important part of everyday Japanese culture. The best example is Japans decade-old tea ceremony, a tradition that has remained unchanged since the 16th century and is passed down from generation to generation. The tea ceremony is not an elite tea circle that is unrelated to the real world. On the contrary, the ritual of teadrinking has shaped Japan as it has no other country. Nowhere else does tea have such a dominant inuence on a countrys culture than in Japan: religion, philosophy, poetry, architecture, ower arranging, painting, as well as crafts such as woodcarving, carpentry, pottery and painting are greatly inuenced by tea. No other people has such a deep relationship to tea. Tea is deeply anchored and rooted in Japanese history

and culture. A fantastic, rich cultural heritage. Visitors to todays Japan will rapidly realise: tea has become very modern. Throughout the country, there are drinks machines that not only sell the usual soft drinks, but also unsweetened, genuine tea beverages that are available either hot or ice-cold. Furthermore, every restaurant automatically serves tea with every meal and its freshly prepared. Of course, tea is also a staple product at home. The Japanese drink tea at any time of day. Japan offers the right tea for every tea lover. Whether simple Sencha or Genmaicha, Kabusecha, Gyokuro tea for connoisseurs or natural Matcha tea for everyone who likes to enjoy tea in its purest form. Japan is the mother country of the nest green teas in the world.

The history of tea from a Japanese viewpoint

Tea is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. The plants birthplace is in south-west China, in the Yunnan province. This region borders on Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar and has subtropical to tropical vegetation. From here, the tea plant conquered the whole of East Asia.

The rst golden age of tea culture was in China around the time of the 8th century, when the rst written documentation was produced on tea and tea-drinking. Tea was so popular that tea houses and tea shops came into being. It was the era of the Tang Dynasty (618-907),

According to a Chinese legend, a long time ago the emperor of China discovered tea-drinking. The story is as follows: The emperor of China was sitting under a tree and partaking of his favourite beverage: hot water. The wind sprang up, blew leaves from the tree into the cup, the emperor sipped it and was enraptured by the taste and the vitalising effect. The tree turned out to be a tea tree and so tea-drinking was born. The example of the emperor clearly shows what variety of tea is most popular in East Asia: green tea. Ideally as fresh as in the legend, plucked directly from the tea tree/ tea bush and brewed in the cup. In China, the greatest tea nation in the world, green tea is the most predominant tea variety. Japan is the only tea-growing country to specialise in green tea. The Japanese word for tea o-cha not only means tea, but always green tea. Tea and Buddhism Tee has been known in China for many years, but it only achieved its true breakthrough with the spread of Buddhism. Tea and Buddhism have entered an almost inseparable symbiosis in East Asia. Wherever there are Buddhist monasteries, tea gardens are not far away.
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a time in which the rst active contacts were established between China and Japan. By no later than 800, tea came to Japan and was passed between the Buddhist monks in China and Japan, when there was an active exchange. Japanese monks travelled to China, visited temples, learned, were educated and rapidly came into contact with tea in Buddhism, tea was an essential health elixir that not only promised long life, but also helped the monks in their meditation.

Whoever drank a certain tea that was ground into a ne powder (Matcha tea) was able to perform concentrated medication for hours without being overcome by tiredness. Japanese monks subsequently brought the tea seeds together with all important utensils for Buddhism with them to Japan. One of these monks who returned to Japan after studying in China was Monk Eichu. He brought back tea and turned into a real sensation. So great was the curiosity that the Japanese emperor (Tenn) himself paid a personal visit to Monk Eichu in Sufukuji Temple. It was there that Monk Eichu served him a cup of tea. The emperor was so impressed by the tea that he ordered tea to be grown in the imperial palace garden not in the corner with the ornamental plants, but together with the medicinal plants. Not much was passed down about the taste of the tea at that time, but it is known that this original tea was made of pressed tealeaves. The so-termed Dancha was rst steamed and then shaped and dried handy little nests so that it remained fresh for longer. To drink it, you broke off a piece, poured hot water over it and added various spices, depending on your desired taste.

Matcha tea Meditative medicine of the Zen monks The preparation form of Matcha tea was developed around the 9th century. Buddhist monks in China (Chang Buddhism, which later turned into Zen Buddhism in Japan) wanted to use tea to make medicine. As is usual in traditional East Asian medicine, they dried the tealeaves and ground them into a ne powder in stone mills: Matcha tea. Matcha was steeped in warm water and beaten with the help of a bamboo whisk. Just like other medicinal herbs, tea was traditionally produced in Buddhist monasteries where most of it was also consumed. Whilst the secret of Matcha tea was lost in China, this elegant tea became part of Buddhist and the tea ceremony in Japan, where it continues to be cultivated to this day. In 1191, Abbot Eisai took large quantities of tea seeds back with him to Japan. In addition to the tea seed, he also brought back something revolutionary from China: a unique, secret method of producing tea a Matcha stone mill. Eisai travelled to numerous monasteries throughout the island kingdom to spread the teaching that was so popular in China throughout the whole of Japan. This also included the knowledge about tea. In various monasteries, Eisai helped to grow tea elds and spread the knowledge about tea production.

Eisai also wrote the rst treatise on tea, the Kissa Yojoki The book of tea. How to stay healthy by drinking tea (1211), in which he wrote in detail about teas health benets. His book stated: Tea is the ultimate mental and medical remedy and has the ability to make ones life more full and complete. It is said that Eisai recommended the Shogun Minamoto Sanemoto, who was suffering the consequences of a hefty drinking binge, to drink tea and so cured him. Initially, tea was reserved for the higher ranks of the nobility, high-ranking warriors and the clergy. Although farmers grew the tea, they had to hand it over (in particular the rst harvest) to the ruling classes. In the hands of the warrior class, the nature of tea-drinking changed completely. Tea became part of a guessing game (tocha). This was accompanied by music, games and dancing, followed by feasting in which large amounts of rice wine were consumed. The simple world of Zen had a completely different concept of tea-drinking. Zen Buddhism developed its own silent and meditative way of celebrating tea, which gradually turned into a ritual with strict rules, which ultimately gave birth to the Japanese tea ceremony. In 1570, Sen no Rikyu had nally created the Japanese tea ceremony and to date this has remained unchanged. The ritualised tea-drinking was important for Zen monks because not until an action has been standardised and learned is it possible to free the soul for meditation. In his poems on the Way of Tea, Sen no Rikyu explained how to correctly prepare and drink Matcha. Bancha and Sencha the peoples teas For centuries, tea-drinking, particularly the consumption of the precious Matcha teas, remained an exquisite enjoyment of the ten thousand richest people in the kingdom. But gradually, the lower classes also developed an appreciation of tea. Because even though the best tea (the rst harvest) had to be handed over to Samurais and monks, there was still enough tea in the elds (later harvests).

Later harvests are called Bancha in Japanese. Bancha is the peoples tea. The farmers only knew the following about tea: pick, steam, dry and deliver. For their own teas, they steamed the tealeaves as usual. But instead of drying them slowly, the method of rolling, kneading and drying the freshly steamed leaves was very soon established. Gradually, they discovered that the aroma becomes more intense if the leaves are rolled Sencha was born. Sencha means everyday tea and is still the most popular tea variety in Japan.

Tea production in Japan

Japan differs in many ways from all the worlds other teagrowing regions: - Japan is a modern industrialised nation. Thus, the agriculture and the tea industry are highly modern and efcient. Most tea is mechanically harvested and the teas are almost exclusively mechanically processed. The big advantage: Japanese teas are extremely clean, hygienic, premium quality products. - Japan is a country of small farmers. There are no large tea estates like in other regions of the world the farmer owns his own land, works at his own expense and sells his produce to different companies on his own behalf. - Japan exclusively produces green tea. Japan is the only country in the world to specialise in just one variety of tea everything is green here. A few tea farmers produce other tea varieties such as black tea for the fun of it, but the quantities are too small to call this serious production. - Japan produces about 100,000 tons of tea a year. Almost the entire production remains in Japan and just under 1 percent of the annual harvest is exported. As Japan drinks much more tea than it produces, the country also important around 50,000 tons of extra tea to quench the thirst of its inhabitants.

The harvest Most tea plants in Japan are mechanically harvested. High-grade shaded teas such as Matcha, Gyokuro or Shincha, are however still hand-picked. In manual harvesting, traditionally only the bud and two tealeaves are picked. Three harvests are brought in over the course of a year. The most important harvest is the Ichi-Ban-Cha (spring picking: end of April, beginning of May). This harvest produces the most high-quality teas such as Tencha (for Matcha production) and Gyokuro. High-grade Kabusecha is also harvested at this time. One special tea is Shincha, when the tea is picked on the very rst days of the rst harvest. Shincha is Japanese for new tea and is made exclusively from the youngest, most delicate tealeaves. The length of a harvest differs from region to region, but the Shincha harvest only lasts for the rst few days. Shincha is mostly a Gyokuro tea. In summer, the Ni-Ban-Cha (second harvest: June/July) is brought in. In terms of quality, these teas can be described as good standard teas. The summer harvest is the classic Sencha harvest and the pleasantly green, fresh avor is typical of this. San-Ban-Cha (third harvest: August) yields the greatest quantity of tea, above all simple Sencha varieties and good Bancha teas. Aki-Ban-Cha, otherwise known as autumn harvest, is usually the nal tea-picking in the year (fourth harvest: September/October) and mainly yields Bancha teas. Kukicha (twig tea) can be produced by every harvest and the best Kukicha teas are those that are made from shaded teas (Tencha, Gyokuro). Genmaicha is usually a blend of roasted rice and Sencha, Hojicha is roasted Bancha tea.
Kabusecha: Semi-shaded tea is directly shaded with tarpaulins

Tencha, Gyokuro, Shincha: Harvest of a fully shaded tea 7

Production In contrast to black tea, Japanese green tea is not fermented, but steamed as soon as possible after the harvest. This leads to a rapid deactivation of the plants own enzymes, so that the tealeaf does not wither, but remains fresh and green. In this way, the tealeaf retains many of his natural ingredients, such as polyphenols, vitamins and much more. Aracha production The labour division in production is unique to Japan: Harvest and pre-production of the teas are the tasks of the tea farmer. His cultivation and production technique dene the taste, appearance and color of the nal product. In short, the tea farmer performs the following steps: steaming, rolling, drying. The tea farmer produces a semi-nished tea product, which is called Aracha and is made of tealeaves, tea twigs and tea dust. He sells this Aracha to the countrys tea trading companies who then process the product.

Steaming But lets go back to the beginning. The freshly harvested tealeaves are brought to the tea farmers own factories as fast as possible. To prevent them turning brown, the fermentation must be stopped: The leaves are heated for 20 to 120 seconds with approx. 100-degree steam. The duration of the steaming also denes the taste, the cup and the appearance of the tea. The longer the steaming, the more intense and uniform the taste and the more brittle the leaf. In Japans young tea-growing regions, which are mainly situated near volcanoes (such as in Kyushu), longer steaming times are usual, as this is the best way to capture the special local aroma. Teas from this region mostly have Fukamushi (Japanese for deep steaming) in their name, e.g. Sencha Fukamushi. In the traditional tea-growing regions (Kyoto/Uji, Aichi/ Nishio and the whole of Shizuoka), shorter steaming times are usual, as this is a great way to offset the ne and subtly fresh aroma of the tealeaves. The leaf also retains its attractive needle shape. This method is called Asamushi.

Aracha in various quality classes 8

Rolling and drying After steaming, the leaf is rolled and dried in several steps. For this purpose, various machines are used as they can exert different pressures during rolling and also permit various drying temperatures. On the one hand, the rolling breaks open the cell walls and, on the other hand, it gives the leaves their slim needle shape. The tea goes through the following steps: Ha-uchi: Pre-rolling After steaming, the tealeaves are stuck together. Before the rst rolling can begin, the leaves are gently separated from each other in the Ha-uchi machine. At the same time, warm air ensures that the leaves that are partially still damp from the steaming will slowly dry so that they are ready for the rst rolling. Sojuu: First rolling The tea is put into a machine that looks like a large horizontal drum. Inside the machine are loops that, similar to a hand motion, slowly roll the tealeaves into shape. Dry hot air draws the moisture out of the leaf to make it softer for the next processing step. Juunen: Second rolling The next machine rolls and presses the leaves from the top to the bottom: the tealeaves are placed on a warm surface, whilst a heavy, round plate presses them down from the top and simultaneously rotates in a circle the leaves are regularly kneaded. This breaks open the cell walls and the leaf is rolled in its own juice.

Chuujuu: Third rolling A new machine: Hot air now dries the tea. At the same time, the tealeaves are slowly shaped by the rotation in the drum, which makes it easier to later roll them into a needle shape. Seijou - Fourth rolling: After the tealeaves have been roughly pre-shaped during the third rolling, it is time for the precision work. The machine performs the function of two palms that roll the leaf into shape. A ne, thin needle shape is the declared goal for all Japanese teas. At the same time, the tea is heated so that it loses even more moisture. Kansou - The drying: Finally, the tea is heated and dried for the last time. Subsequently, it is packaged and brought to refrigerated warehouses for further processing. The Aracha, or literally raw tea, is nished. Shiagecha production The farmer sells his Aracha to a large tea trading house nearby, which will now manufacture the nished tea. Tea trading houses have factories with large processing capacities and exist in all of Japans teagrowing regions. The tealeaves are sorted into various quality classes, sieved according to the same criteria and foreign bodies or other components, such as twigs, are specially removed. The size, color and hardness of the tealeaves dene their quality classication. The Aracha leaf is made into four different varieties of the same tea, although the quality of the Aracha denes the quality of the nal product. For instance, a medium-grade Sencha-Aracha can be made into the following four teas: 1) Sencha (Honcha or true tea) 2) Konacha (dust tea) 3) Kukicha (twig tea) 4) Mecha (bud tea, only the smallest and nest buds are selected for this)

Japanese tea with a ne needle shape and rich color 9

The separation works as follows: A high-pressure air system transports the heavy tea to the bottom (i.e. the rough leaves of basic quality) and the lighter tea to the next production machine. The twigs and foreign bodies that are lighter in color are separated with the help of a CCD camera (camera that is equipped with a special color detection system). Subsequently, the separated teas are mixed with the same type of quality classes and are then blended: mixing and drying. The heating of the tea enables it to develop its full aroma. Each company attempts to produce tea varieties with an unmistakable character. The nished tea is now subjected to several controls: 1. Double sensory method: With tea tasting (does the tea taste like it should?), visual quality inspection (does the tea look like it should?) and haptic inspection (does the tea feel like it should?), every part of the tea is tested. Only what critical tea tasters consider to be good is brought to market. 2. Double analytical method: Leading Japanese manufacturers have every tea sample tested for pesticides, heavy metals and microbiological levels. As soon as the tea has passed the test, this is mostly followed by a further inspection by independent inspection laboratories and then the tea is approved for sale.

Tea tasters carry out the visual and haptic inspection ...

... as well as the taste inspection

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The little difference Japan vs. China

China is the mother country of tea. Thousands of different tea varieties were and are cultivated here. In contrast, for at least 1,000 years Japan has exclusively specialised in green tea and preserves the knowledge of the cultivation of the freshest, healthiest, purest and nest green teas. For this purpose, state-of-the art technologies are used in this highly developed country Japan is a rst world country. China and other tea-growing countries are mostly developing countries, which is largely reected in their low wages, low safety precautions and high use of pesticides to offer the mass product tea at cheap conditions. Unfortunately, the rapid economic growth in China is resulting in mass pollution of the soil with heavy metals. The rapidly increasing pollutants in the air and water, as well as the mass use of insecticides, dont exactly help the situation either. Its tough for organic farmers in China. Even if they attempted to produce organic teas with a lot of effort and dedication, theres scarcely anything they can do about the polluted groundwater, rivers polluted by the waste from chemical and industrial companies or the heavy metal residues in the soil. A study by the World Bank (2007) shows that 460,000 Chinese a year die from the consequences of environmental pollution. Good organic farmers who think to the future must try to keep their teas below the permitted pesticide levels, which many do not manage to do. When new pesticides are tested, the organic tea farmers must react accordingly. (In Japan, its the other way round. People act from the outset and grow crops sustainably. After all, the Japanese want to enjoy their own tea in large quantities and for a long time to come.) The heavy metal pollution of the Chinese teas is generally not even recorded. It remains to be seen how the organic farmers in China will deal with the local pollution levels. The Japanese have already taken action. To receive pure imported products, Japanese food groups go so far as to give their products a Certied China Free logo. For them it is normal to have the highest demands of their teas. After all, 99 percent of their teas are for their
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own consumption. Organic lives up to its name here. Every tea is tested for all the pesticides found on the market, as well as for possible heavy metal pollution. And the Japanese like to do this several times over. Only the teas that pass these tests may be brought to market. The same purity rules are upheld in the tea factories. This ranges from the squeaky clean machines and their daily cleaning, to gloves, face masks and hairnets for the workers to airlocks, clean rooms and their own ventilation circuits for production rooms. The Japanese love their tea. And theyll gladly spend their yen on promoting their health.

The Japanese even use airlocks to maintain the hygiene standards in their tea factories

Where does tea come from?

Japan is probably the most northern and coldest tea-growing area. Although it is technically possible to grow tea throughout the whole of Japan, the economically viable tea-growing borders run right through the Island of Honshu and the Prefecture of Niigata. Thus, the 38th parallel is regarded as the northernmost tea-growing border. The best tea-growing areas in Japan are either regions that are just a few metres from the sea in the interior of the country or mountain regions that are as close as possible to rivers. Rivers always produce river mist that gives the area the ideal temperature for tea and maintains the humidity. Probably the most well-known tea-growing area in Japan is the Prefecture of Shizuoka with the tea regions of Kawane and Shimizu. Thanks to its constantly humid climate, this region yields very ne and delicious varieties. One of the most important regions for organic teas in Central Japan is the tea-growing area of Shimoyama in Aichi, close to the famous Matcha region Nishio. Shimoyama means misty mountain. This region is situated 500 metres above sea level and is much colder than the tea-growing regions on the plains a natural protection against insects and pests who only really feel at home below this level. Nishio is one of the oldest tea-growing regions in the world. For more than 850 years, this region has been producing tea. This region has mainly specialised in the

production of Matcha tea. More than 50 percent of all Matcha teas are from Nishio. The Island of Kyushu is home to the Prefectures of Saga, Fukuoka (with Yame) and Kagoshima, which are highly regarded in Japan for their tea production. Kagoshima is known for its warm, pleasant climate, a particularly eutrophic volcanic soil and also for harvesting the rst tea in Japan. A particularly important place here is Kirishima, which means misty island. The South Japanese mists often surround the volcanic mountains and only their peaks can be seen as they jut out of the sea of fog hence the name. A further well-known tea-growing region in Japan is Kyoto with the region of Uji.

KYOTO/UJI FUKUOKA/ YAME

SAGA

SHIZUOKA AICHI/NISHIO

200 t 200-500 t 500-2,000 t

KAGOSHIMA

2,000-10,000 t >10,000 t
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The tea varieties

Probably the most well-known tea varieties in Japan are Gyokuro, Sencha and Bancha. The most Japanese of all teas is Matcha tea, which is also internationally renowned by the Japanese tea ceremony. The highquality teas Tencha (which is later turned into Matcha), Gyokuro and Shincha are generally harvested once a year. Before harvesting, these tea varieties are specially treated: Up to four weeks before picking, the tea bushes are covered with tarpaulins. Shaded from the sunlight, they form more chlorophyll which is responsible for the deep green color of the leaves, as well as a vibrant green cup color and amino acids that give the tea its mild taste. Shaded teas - Tencha (14 to 28 days, 90 percent shade) - Gyokuro (seven to 21 days, 90 percent shade) - Kabusecha (one to six days, 50 percent shade) Non shaded teas - Sencha - Bancha Teas that are processed further - Genmaicha (Sencha with rice) - Hojicha (roasted Bancha) Byproducts - Mecha (tea buds) - Kukicha (tea twigs) - Konacha (tea dust)

Shaded tea eld 13

Matcha

Tencha

Green tea in an ultra-ne, jade green powder form is exclusively extracted from Tencha leaves. For a good Matcha, the most delicate Tencha leaves are ground into ultra-ne tea powder in granite stone mills. Note: Matcha tea is never manufactured from Gyokuro, Kabusecha or even Sencha! Matcha is steeped in water in a large tea bowl and whisked to a foam with a bamboo whisk. Only tea from the rst harvest is used. Appearance: ultra-ne green tea powder Preparation: - Brew with fresh and, if possible, soft water - Cool the water to approx. 80C - Add 1 g Matcha (two bamboo spoons or teaspoon) to a Matcha bowl - Steep in approx. 80 ml water (80C) - Whisk the tea to a foam with a Matcha whisk This takes about 15 seconds

Tencha is mainly used for further processing into Matcha. In some areas, it is also drunk directly, without further processing. In Japan, it is very often used in cooking Tencha is excellent for sprinkling dishes with delicious tealeaves. Tencha leaves are briey steamed, but in contrast to all other Japanese teas they are not rolled, but slowly and gently baked in special ovens for a long period of time. Subsequently, the components that are not pure tealeaf (twigs, leaf veins) are rejected until only the leaf esh remains = Tencha tea. The quality corresponds to premium quality Gyokuro. Appearance: green broken tea Tencha is not normally available in Germany and Europe.

Tencha tea is steamed, dried and air-dried

The ultra-ne Matcha powder is made into a unique, creamy, nutritious and wonderful green tea

Hand-made granite stone mills ground 30 g Matcha tea in one hour 14

Shincha

Gyokuro

Shincha is the tea of the rst picking (rst ush) and is mostly a Gyokuro or a Kabusecha. It is harvested from the beginning to the middle of May and is characterised by a fresh, owery aroma. The tea is a uorescent green color, has an absolutely fresh taste and a wonderful scent. It stands out due to its fresh, intense note, light sweetness, ne acidity and subtle bitterness. Shincha is only harvested on three to four days. The farmers only pick the tea on sunny days to better preserve the scent of the leaves. The picked leaves are processed on the same day so that they do not lose their freshness and taste. This process requires a lot of care and concentration. A good Shincha is the highest goal of a tea farmer, the heart of his craft. Many learned the process of picking and production from their parents. Only a tea farmer with lots of experience can produce a good Shincha. Preparation: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre water, 60C, four minutes

In addition to Tencha, this is the highest quality class of green tea with a wonderfully fresh, light green cup color. Gyokuro means Jade drops and ranks among the most exclusive shaded tea varieties that Japan has to offer. The lengthy time it spends in the shade results in a unique and sweet taste: umami. Umami is generally translated as savouriness, which means that in Japan Gyokuro is highly regarded as the most delicate variety of tea. Only the most delicate and freshest tealeaves of the rst days of spring are used for the harvest. The result is a mild tea with an emerald green needle color, a natural sweetness, delicate aroma and a truly sublime taste. Preparation of high-grade Gyokuro: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre water, 60C, four minutes Preparation of standard Gyokuro: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre water, 70C, three minutes

A Gyokuro-Shincha has ne, dark green needles

Gyokuro can be recognised because it has the most beautiful needle shape

Shincha has a uorescent green cup colour 15

Gyokuro has a light green, vibrant cup color

Kabusecha

Sencha

Quality class between Sencha and Gyokuro. The name Kabuse means overshadowed. And this tea is shaded, but for a much shorter time than Gyokuro a few days are enough. The leaves have a beautiful, rich dark green color that is reminiscent of Gyokuro, but resembles the aroma of high-class varieties of Sencha. A typical Kabusecha harmoniously combines the advantages of both varieties of tea. It has a diverse character that tastes slightly nutty and pleasantly fresh. The delicate aroma leaves a sweet taste on the palate. Dark gold, slightly cloudy cup color. Appearance: ne dark green needle shape Preparation of high-grade Kabusecha: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre water, 60C, three to four minutes Preparation of standard Kabusecha: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre water, 70C, two minutes

Japans most popular tea is available in a wide range of quality classes. Excellent Sencha teas are almost the same quality and price as Kabusecha or sometimes even as Gyokuro. Standard Sencha teas in the low quality segment may however even greatly resemble a Bancha in terms of variety and taste. As a rule of thumb: the more dark green and ne the tealeaves and the more intense the aroma, the better the tea. In this case, too, the tea from the rst harvest is also the tea with the highest quality. The golden color of the beverage and the fresh scent is characteristic of high-grade Sencha. It combines a slightly bitter taste with a delicate oweriness, is aromatic and tangy. Sencha is rich in Vitamin C and particularly popular with women at Japanese teatime. Preparation of high-grade Sencha: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre water, 80C, two minutes Preparation of standard Sencha: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre water, 90C, one minute

Kabusecha has rich dark green leaves Fine dark green Sencha leaves

Typical for Kabusecha: golden cup color 16

The Sencha infusion is dark gold

Bancha

Hojicha

A pleasant, simple quality basic tea. Bancha is the tea from the later harvest. The aromatically intense leaves are larger and more robust than those of Sencha. Extremely mild, low caffeine content, bitter taste. Light, yellowy-green cup color. Preparation: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre water, 90C, one minute

Hojicha is roasted Bancha and its leaves look more like those of a black tea. Hojicha is a tea with an interesting aroma that slightly resembles that of coffee. Hojicha is produced by very gentle roasting of the tealeaves. Hojicha is a very good alternative for coffeedrinkers and can also easily be consumed in the evenings, as it contains very little caffeine and is very mild. It unfurls a delicately nutty aroma with an antique gold infusion. Hojicha has an intense, slightly nutty roast note. Appearance: The large voluminous leaves of Hojicha are very similar to Bancha in terms of their shape. But the leaf color is an intense brown. Preparation: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre boiling water, 30 seconds

Bancha tea is more robust ... ... and has a yellowy cup color

Kukicha
Only the twigs and leaf veins of various tea varieties are processed for this tea. Appearance: dark and light green evenly shaped tea twigs. Harvest: depends on the tea variety of the twigs used. As they are processed, these produce a fresh and aromatic tea. Fresh, aromatic tea that does not have a slightly bitter aftertaste. Preparation: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp.), one litre water, 70C, two minutes

Hojicha has large brown leaves and an antique gold cup color

Kukicha has a light, fresh cup color and the typical twig colors

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Genmaicha

Tamaryokucha

Medium-ne Senchas are mixed with roasted rice and/ or puffed rice. This added ingredient makes the Genmaicha taste aromatic, malty and nutty. A striking, freshly roasted rice aroma, paired with the delicious freshness of Sencha. Light brown, rich cup color. Can be enjoyed both hot and cold. Preparation: 12 g tealeaves (4 tsp.), one litre water, 90C, 1.5 minutes

A very unique Japanese green tea. The leaf shape is rolled and resembles a magatama (an old, mystic curved bead, one of the insignia of the Japanese imperial house), which is how the tea got its name Tamaryokucha. Tamaryokucha can be produced using one of two methods. After the rst steaming, the tea is not rolled, but the older method follows Chinese tradition and rst roasts the tea (panre) and then dries it in huge drums with hot air (Kamairi method). The modern method leaves out the roasting step (Sencha method). These days, Tamaryokucha is mainly cultivated in Kyushuu, in the Prefectures of Kumamoto and Saga, as well as in a few parts of Shizuoka (Iso peninsula). If you see how Tamaryokucha is produced, you can condently term it the prototype and precursor of modern Sencha. Preparation: 12 g tealeaves (5 tsp), one litre water, 70, 1.5 minutes

Genmaicha has a light brown cup color and consists of Sencha and roasted rice

In the Chinese method, the leaf shape is more distinctive than the Sencha method

The cup color of the Chinese method is darker and the taste is more powerful than the Japanese method

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Price indicator
Price in Euro <10 Tea 100g (Matcha 30g) Matcha Tea Shincha High-grade Gyokuro Standard Gyokuro High-grade Kabusecha Standard Kabusecha High-grade Sencha Standard Sencha Bancha High-grade Kukicha Standard Kukicha Hojicha High-grade Genmaicha Standard Genmaicha Tamaryokucha 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

How much Japanese tea is likely to cost in your shop. Simply pick the tea of your choice and read the approximate price range off the bar. If the price of the tea offered to you differs greatly from the prices listed here, it is highly probable that it is not Japanese tea or that it is an inferior quality tea.

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How Japanese tea should taste

In comparison to Chinese green tea, the Japanese varieties are mainly fresher and greener. In the production of Japanese teas, attempts are made to retain as much umami taste as possible. But what is umami? Umami is the name for one of the basic qualities of taste. Japanese researcher Professor Kikunae Ikeda was the rst to describe the umami taste (from Japanese: savoury, delicious) in 1908. In his experiments, he discovered that there is a taste category outside of the usual categorisation into sweet, sour, salty and bitter. The umami taste is due to the amino acid glutamic acid, which is particularly abundant in fully ripe tomatoes or soy sauce. Its salts are described as glutamates. It is found in almost all foods as a naturally bound and free glutamate. The higher the natural free glutamate content in foods, the more intense the umami taste brothy and meaty taste which is greatly appreciated in Japan. Today, we know that there arent four, but ofcially ve, senses of taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. In Japanese tea, the umami taste is particularly prevalent in shaded, high-grade tea varieties such as Gyokuro. To properly extract the umami taste from the tealeaf,

you steep the tea in the rst infusion at a very low temperature (50C to 60C) and allow it to brew for longer (four to ve minutes).

A tea ceremony requires the setting of a traditional Japanese tea garden

In Japan, green tea is mostly even greener 20

Tips and tricks for more enjoyable tea-drinking

A good tea must be made at the right temperature The more high-quality the tea, the lower the water temperature and the longer the brewing time. Once it has boiled, depending on the tea variety, the water should be cooled. Too hot water destroys important ingredients and the tea becomes bitter and may taste unpleasant. High-grade teas are always steeped at less than 80C. Here are two tricks in case you dont have a thermometer at hand: - Each time you pour the boiled water into a cold (!) container, the water cools by approx. 7C. - If you leave your kettle to cool with the top off, the temperature will be approx. 80C after 10 minutes.

Japanese green tea is always enjoyable

The rst infusion ... ... is also the best infusion! Have you read or heard that the rst infusion is thrown away in Asia? Thats wrong. These tales are from the dim and distant past when tea wasnt such a clean, hygienic product as it is today and the leaves had to be practically washed.
The rst infusion is the best!

Japanese teas are always very clean and highly hygienic. The rst infusion tastes the best enjoy it!

Pay attention to the brewing time Note for drinkers of black and herbal tea: If you like to steep your tea and then come back after ve to 10 minutes, your delicious Japanese tea will no longer be drinkable. Most Japanese teas have very short brewing times, generally between one and three minutes. Only high-grade shaded teas can be left to brew for longer but only at low temperatures. The following tip is an old wives tale: brew green tea for as long as possible to extract as much as possible from the tea leaf. This tip comes directly from the researchers laboratories where nutrients were found in tea. If your Sencha brews for longer than ve minutes, it will no longer taste good and the tea will turn bitter. And good Japanese tea never tastes bitter.
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Several infusions from the same tea With a high-grade Japanese tea, you can prepare three and even four infusions. Simply increase the water temperature each time and shorten the brewing time. With each temperature increase, new ingredients are released by the tealeaves. For this reason, several infusions are particularly recommended. Note: If you want to repeatedly infuse a tea, its best to do this immediately. It would be counterproductive to make an infusion in the morning and one in the evening. If the wet tealeaves are left lying in the cup, they become an ideal breeding ground for germs. So: either reinfuse a tea immediately or dispose of the leaves.

Preparation The easiest way to prepare tea is using the two pot principle. Take one pot to brew the tea and a second to serve it. Simply pour the loose tealeaves into the rst pot. This enables the tea to freely develop its special taste. The water should be slowly lled up so that small tealeaves can swim to the surface. After the brewing time, simply pour the tea through a tea strainer and into the serving pot preparing tea can be so simple.

The water quality is vital for Japanese green teas

green tea is very sensitive to odours. It is best to keep it away from strong-smelling foods such as cheese, roast pork or coffee. Kept chilled, green tea can last for at least a year without losing its freshness. Water The water quality is incredibly important for green tea. Use water that is low in lime scale or even better ltered water. Filtered water generally has a lower pH value, which results in a light cup color and slows down the oxidation. It also means that no thin and oily lm will develop on the surface of the tea. If still mineral water is used, make sure that the calcium and hydrogen carbonate content is low (calcium up to approx. 10 mg/litre, hydrogen carbonate up to approx. 70 mg/litre). The softer the water, the more suitable it is for the preparation of green tea.

Price Japanese tea is not cheap this is mainly because Japan no longer produces any simple qualities of tea, but only good standard products, high-quality teas or premium quality teas. Tea from Japan is comparable to cars from Germany: There are no cheap products, but you can get very good quality for a fair price. So, its very important to pay attention to the right price level. Gyokuro teas always cost at least EUR 20 per 100 g, original Matcha drinking teas are simply not available for less than about EUR 18 per 30 g (cooking teas are available for about EUR 12 per 30 grams). So you found a Gyokuro or Matcha tea for ve or six euros? Ask yourself the question: Wouldnt you be suspicious if a champagne was on sale for ve euros? Cheaper and very delicious Japanese teas include Kukicha, Genmaicha, Sencha, Bancha and Hojicha. And if youre curious about Gyokuro tea: maybe your tea shop can sell you 50 g of this delicacy. Why not ask them?
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Storage To keep the tea fresh for long, you should make sure you store it properly. Small quantities can be stored in an airtight tin or a resealable bag preferably in a cool, dry and dark place. Larger quantities can be split into portions, stored in the fridge and only opened once needed. But be careful:

About the author

Thomas Grmer is Europes only fully-trained expert for Japanese teas. Vienna-born Grmer heads European commercial operations at Japans traditional family-owned business AIYA and thus is the only none-Japanese to occupy an executive position at the global market leader for Matcha green tea. Thomas Grmer wasted no time in discovering his passion for the multi-faceted cultures of East Asia and began to study Japanese Studies and economics. He graduated in Paris with a distinguished thesis on Green tea production in Shizuoka. During the course of a two-year research scholarship period in Shizuoka, the centre of Japanese tea production, Grmer studied virtually everything to do with Japanese teas: from cultivation to harvest, production methods, processing and blending to tasting and sales. In addition, he gained valuable insight into the sale and the culture as well as the traditional preparation of tea, which in Japan is heavily inuenced by the philosophy of Buddhist monks. Once trained as a tea taster, Thomas Grmer, expert for Japanese teas, returned to Vienna, where he helped build European business operations for AIYA. From

2003 onwards he was in charge of the rst European branch of a Japanese tea-producing company. In 2008 he took charge of AIYAs newly established European headquarters in Hamburg.

Thomas Grmer, CEO AIYA Europe

About AIYA Europe GmbH

AIYA Europe is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AIYA Co. Ltd., a Japanese family business with long tradition. For the past 120 years the market leader in the production of Matcha tea has been producing highest-quality teas to bio-quality level, which besides Matcha are Shincha, Gyokuro, Sencha, Kukicha, Genmaicha and others.

From 2003 AIYA has been active in the German and European market, holding 50 % of market share with Japanese green tea in Germany, Matchas market share being 90%. In August of 2008 the company set up its European headquarters in Hamburg. AIYA Europe GmbHs CEO Thomas Grmer is a proven tea connoisseur.

AIYA Europe GmbH Poststr. 51 D-20354 Hamburg Germany

Fon: +49-40-3480 9993 Fax: +49-40-3480 9994 info@aiya-europe.com www.aiya-europe.com

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