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In the warmth of the first autumn colors of this late September day, where serene and elegiac shades of summer linger, we want to tell you about some of the Japanese green teas that have marked the hectic pace of our recent weeks. But first...
“Tea is an elixir to preserve health in old age, an excellent means to prolong life.”
EISAI MYOAN, HEALTH VIRTUES OF TEA, 1211
In the Land of the Rising Sun, tea has ancestral origins that sometimes get lost in myth. The first leaves of the plant were introduced around 700 A.D. by Japanese monks studying in China, where tea originated. There, they learned the habit of drinking tea, which was made into powder, and upon their return, they planted its 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 tea. It was then widely cultivated and used by monks, the imperial court, and the highest social classes, including the samurai.
Today, tea (お茶; ocha), often synonymous with green tea (the most common variety among the different types of tea), is an emblem of Japanese culture and traditions, and is the most 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 mood; it is not sipped merely for pleasure, but because it is almost like medicine: green tea is, in fact, rich in vitamin C3, helpful in dealing with flu-like conditions; catechins, antioxidants that protect cells from aging; flavonoids, including the powerful EGCG polyphenol, which has well-known anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
Terza Luna offers a selection of Japanese green teas from the current year among the most sought after, sometimes distinctive, of which we are madly in love and satisfied. Let's discover some together.
The Sencha Yabukita Premium is the first one we present to you, the most precious of our Japanese Sencha teas. It is produced by the Matsushita Tea Corporation in the idyllic and isolated city of Hioki. A few days before being harvested, it is shaded: this makes it less bitter and pungent than common Sencha, as well as richer in amino acids. The reduced steaming, called asamushi, produces a brilliant liquor and a delicate flavor, yet rich: in the cup, a range of marine and vegetal notes opens up, with a lively orange finish.
Coming from Kirishima, in the famous Kyūshū region, it is our Fukamushi Bio, masterfully produced by the Nishi family, a pioneer in Japan and the world for organic cultivation methods. The prolonged steaming process, from which it takes its name, makes the leaves fragile to the point of fragmenting them, and although it may initially seem like a defect, it is rather an advantage: it will be easier and more immediate to benefit from the leaf's nutrients.
The liquor of this Fukamushi, dense and vivid in color, has the scent of the sea breeze and a mineral and seaweed flavor, with a sweet gooseberry finish.
Singular is the Tamaryokucha Mushisei, also of organic cultivation, coming from a prefecture of Nagasaki. Similar, in shape and taste, to Chinese tea, it is essentially a Sencha whose leaves do not have the common needle-like appearance. About two weeks before harvesting, the plantations are shaded: this results in a more balanced and fresh flavor. The infusion, which has a buttery texture, releases the aroma of spinach and pistachio; the taste, instead, resembles that of nuts, avocado with a fresh, persistent, and pleasant finish of green apple.
The Gyokuro Seamidori, also from Kyūshū, is one of the finest Japanese green teas that the Japanese land can offer us. The shading, extended to three weeks, prevents the sun from reaching the young leaves, triggering an increase in chlorophyll and amino acids production, especially of L-Theanine, which is attributed to the pleasant feeling of well-being associated with tea consumption. The bold character of this tea, to be understood away from the usual daily noises, translates into a memorable sensory journey. The full-bodied, subtle jade color reveals fresh and sugary scents, which envelop the palate in a wave of umami flavor, reminiscent of grilled vegetables, especially zucchini, then turning into a very sweet taste of apple compote and lemon cake.
Finally, we want to tell you about Sun Rouge BIO, tea from the island of Tokunoshima. Its history is quite recent: it only arrived on the market in 2009, the result of years of study to produce a tea richer in antioxidants and anthocyanins. Many studies highlight its therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties, effective in combating vision and intestinal problems. At the time of harvest, the buds show a beautiful red color, due to a natural pigment produced in response to UV rays, which we will find in the cup. The infusions that can be obtained are magical and impactful: the liquor, of a purple hue, unusual for a green tea, tends to a fluorescent pink when drops of lemon are added. The taste resembles that of almond-crusted salmon; therefore, it presents, at the beginning, a very marine taste, but immediately turns to herbaceous and floral notes, sometimes astringent, of hibiscus and freshly picked flowers.
“In the fields of the greenest snow, the green of the new herbs.”
KONISHI RAIZAN
If you are a lover of Japanese green teas, you will likely be interested in the section of our online shop dedicated to all Japanese teas. Inside, you will find many other precious teas like these. Visit it now!
