This is a beautiful micro-lot, unrefined green tea (aracha sencha) from a hobby tea maker from Wazuka. We are very thankful that Haruka San shared a couple of kilograms of her home tea.
Tasting Experience: fresh cedar, cucumber, roast nori
<This Tea is featured in October's Steamed Tea Club>
Origin: Wazuka (Kyoto) Japan | 34.8ºN 135.9ºE
Grower: Hori Haruka was born to a tea family in Wazuka. We had the fortune of meeting her while she attended university in Vancouver; she was often a guest at our tea bar. Since returning to Japan, Hori San has been a leader in the local tea community and one of the organizers of the yearly ‘Teatopia Festival’.
Aracha: 荒茶 literally translates as ‘rough tea’ (or ‘raw tea’), but is more accurately described as ‘unfinished tea’. Aracha has not gone through the final sorting process that is common in refined Japanese tea (called Shiage 仕上 ): sorting out the few stems that are mixed with tea leaves. Tea growers often drink Aracha; we, personally, believe that the few stems add sweetness and complexity.
Cultivar: Yabukita (やぶきた) is THE most popular cultivar in Japan, used for tea grown both under full sunshine and under shade.