The soils of Yame, in addition to a slightly longer steaming process (compared with Uji and Shizuoka), deliver an exceptionally smooth tea. Consider a traditional brew for intense umami, or mizudashi (ice brew) for an insanely green thirst quencher.
We found this single cultivar yabukita among Oishi San's spring 2024 samples. It stood out as a delicious, very easy drinking (yet reasonably priced) tea that very well represents Yame's shaded tea tradition.
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Origin: Murooka, Yame, Japan
GPS: 33.2ºN 130.5ºE
Cultivar: yabukita
Harvest Date: first week of May, 2024
Shading: 20 days
Producer: Oishi Kenichi
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Brewing Guide (Traditional)
Tea: 4g
Water: 1st steep (35ml @ 55ºC), 2nd steep (100ml @ 55ºC), 3rd steep (100ml @ 60ºC)
Time: 150" (1st), 45" (2nd), 60" (3rd)
Brewing Guide (Ice Brew)
Tea: 5g
Crushed Ice + Water: 150ml
Stir consistently for 3 minutes, strain and serve. You may repeat this process 2-3 times.