Sencha Tanabata organic green tea
Sencha is one of the most representative of Japanese green tea production in the land of the rising sun. This tea is carefully cultivated from the very beginning and the plants are organised in very controlled plantations to ensure a high quality organic product.
Given this care, sencha is a tea that can be harvested several times a year, up to a maximum of four harvests between spring and autumn. This sencha is the second crop of the spring season and therefore retains much of the richness of flavour of the first crop of the season, shincha.
Speaking of flavours, this tea allows us to immerse ourselves in the panorama of Japanese vegetable flavours, as we can taste fresh grass flavours still a little damp from the morning dew that evolve into the full vegetable flavour typical of certain vegetables such as spinach.
As these flavours diffuse in our mouth we can also perceive a robust body of the drink followed by a pleasantly sweet aftertaste that can be found in some starchy foods.
It is also possible to detect in the fresh herb flavour a certain marine moisture due to the fact that the plantations of this tea are situated on a hillside (about 300 metres above sea level) near the coast of Japan where salt-laden winds often blow.
Place of origin
Kagoshima, Japan.
Production
This green tea is brewed in the classic Japanese style, i.e. the freshly picked leaves are left to wither for a short time and then flooded with very hot steam, which within 15 to 20 seconds accomplishes the process of “killing the green” by deactivating the enzymes that would cause the leaf to oxidise.
After this important stage, the leaves are rolled to enhance their flavours and dried using hot air jets to be ready for use.
Ingredients
Organic green tea
Preparation of Sencha Tanabata organic green tea
Place 4 grams of leaves (about two teaspoons) in a Japanese Kyusu-type teapot or, failing that, in a teapot with a wide, flat bottom if possible.
Pour 100 ml water at a temperature of 60°C over the leaves and after 40 seconds you can start pouring the infusion into cups. To make the most of the leaves and to continue the taste experience with this tea, we also recommend making two more infusions of the same leaves with the same quantity and temperature parameters but varying the infusion time. For the second one 50 seconds is suggested and for the third one 1 minute.
The tea can be filtered for easier tasting and also the above brewing times are purely indicative so can be adjusted according to personal taste.
As we are talking about a Japanese green tea, it is also possible to make a delicious infusion in cold water before proceeding with hot water. For the latter, we recommend, with the same grams of leaves per amount of water, an infusion time of about 10 minutes.
Discover all the benefits of green tea.
Storage: Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Tanabata Matzuri
As its name suggests, organic Sencha Tanabata Green Tea is harvested during Japan’s famous Tanabata festival (held on 7 July).
This festival, also known as the Festival of the Stars in Love, celebrates the reunion of the two deities in love, Orihime and Hikoboshi, who were condemned to see each other only once a year.
Discover the story of the two lovers who inspired the Tanabata Festival, go to our blog.