Green tea is at the heart of Japanese culture. From the harvesting to the preparation of the leaves, every step is meticulous, complex and deeply rooted. Green tea harvested in Japan has certain flavors and nutritional properties that are different from teas from China and other parts of the world. Here are 10 things about Japanese green tea that you (maybe) didn’t know.

1. The first harvest of the year, the tea leaves are the most nutritious and sought after. The first harvest begins in May and lasts for several weeks until June. This harvest is known to produce the highest quality green tea leaves, largely due to the slow growth during the cold months, which makes the leaves denser in nutrients, resulting in a better flavor. The leaves picked in spring contain three times as much L-theanine as those produced in later harvests, giving this first batch of tea a sweet and mild flavor.

2. The second harvest of the year in June and July is very hot because it is summer, making harvesting very difficult. During this time, the tea leaves grow faster and are of lower quality, with a more bitter taste, requiring more efficient management of both employees and harvest control.

3. KANREISHA CURTAIN or black curtains that are popularly used to cover the ground can be used to protect tea plants from direct sunlight. About a month before each harvest, tea plants are covered with curtains to limit the amount of sunlight that does not directly hit the tea plants. There are two types of curtains used in Japan: the type that uses direct cloth to cover the plants and the type that uses awnings to block the sunlight. Each tea plantation has different uses. Some places use both types. Tea plants that are covered with such curtains before harvesting will help the tea to develop a sweet taste.

4. Each tea leaf is carefully selected by the tea pickers. Compared with the tea leaves selected by machine, the quality of the tea leaves is not as high as those picked by hand. The taste of the tea leaves by hand is more mellow and the aroma is more delicate. The best time to pick the leaves is when there are three to five young plants and the leaves are of the right size. Picking too early means less yield. Picking too late affects the quality of the tea. Even one day can make a difference and make the leaves bitter. Therefore, it is very important to pick the tea leaves at the right time and pick them quickly and all at once. Therefore, each worker must use his experience to pluck the leaves quickly and meticulously.

5. Japan actually produces less tea than other countries. Despite its strong green tea culture, Japan produces only 7% of the world’s green tea. Most of it is consumed domestically, and only a small portion is exported to other countries. The Japanese consume 95% of all tea production in the country, leaving only 5% exported to other countries.

6. The most popular method of storing tea leaves is still the use of traditional wooden baskets. Despite the widespread use of machinery and technology, traditional wooden baskets are still used to store tea.

7. In the fall, tea plantation workers start preparing the farm for the next year’s harvest. Green tea trees are pruned in the autumn months of October and November. Pruning at this stage ensures that the young leaves of the old leaves do not mix with each other and reduce the harvest in the spring of the following year. Failure to prune at the right time will harm the tea trees and may even result in weak tea trees. Therefore, in late summer and early autumn, the soil must be enriched and the pH of the soil adjusted to the appropriate level.

8. There is a tea harvest tour. Obubu is the Kyoto word for a type of green tea, which is one of the most expensive teas in Japan, costing around 14,000 yen per kilogram. For over 800 years, the farm in rural Kyoto Prefecture has been open to visitors and the public during the harvest season. It begins with a morning tour of the farm and the opportunity to pick your own tea leaves. The staff will demonstrate how to pick the leaves, and visitors will be given a traditional wooden basket to collect the leaves. The leaves can then be sent for processing or roasted, ready to be served as a tea drink made from the leaves you have picked for a delicious cup of tea.

9. Green tea plants require special care during the winter. Dry leaf straw and bamboo husks are placed beside the plants to provide warmth during the cold and snowy months, act as fertilizer and help maintain the soil at the right level of moisture. Since many plants are prone to disease and die during the winter, the tea plants must be well cared for to ensure they are ready for the next harvest.

10. Harvesting in Japan is different from the techniques used in China, as the Japanese pick certain leaves at different times of the year, while in China they usually pick all the leaves at one time.

The process of harvesting tea leaves is a complex task that takes a whole year. From the first harvest to the last, farmers in Japan work tirelessly to produce the highest quality tea possible for the best tasting tea.

Source

https://www.japanesegreenteain.com/blogs/green-tea-and-health/harvesting-green-tea-in-japan-10-surprising-harvesting-things-you-didnt-know

Article from: Fuwafuwa

Most green tea lovers already know that tea powder should not only be stored in a tightly closed, opaque, and airtight container, but also be kept away from sunlight or heat for long periods of time, and should be stored in a cool place. However, after taking it out of the refrigerator, it should be left for a while to cool before opening the container to prevent the tea from becoming damp.

Since tea powder is sensitive to light and has a delicate storage method, the tea storage box should be as precise as possible to preserve the quality of the tea and protect the tea powder from the air. Therefore, glass bottles and transparent bottles are not suitable for storing tea powder. This tea powder storage box is called棗 or natsume (Tea caddy) in Japanese.

The origin of tea storage boxes comes from Europe because in the past, tea was very expensive. The culture of tea consumption among the British was spread from China in the mid-17th century. At that time, it was believed that tea could cure diseases and had many health benefits. Tea had been known in the East for thousands of years. The British therefore valued tea very much. Because tea at that time was expensive, it had to be stored with a lock and key very well. The boxes used to store tea powder were often expensive and decorated to match the atmosphere in the living room or other reception rooms where tea would be served. Tea storage boxes come in many materials, such as wood, with mahogany and rosewood being popular. There are also many different looks, both hexagonal and octagonal. There have been continuous developments, including boxes made of clay, stainless steel, in many shapes and designs. However, the most obvious characteristic is that all types of boxes are opaque. If anyone currently puts their tea in a clear plastic box, even if it has a tight-fitting lid, it would be better to change to a box with the correct shape.

Therefore, when choosing a tea storage box, you can choose either stainless steel or wood. Just make sure the lid is tight. If there is a lock to close it tightly, it will help extend the shelf life of the tea powder. If anyone is looking for a tea powder storage box, try choosing from htps://matchazuki.com/product/canister/

Source

https://matchazuki.com/product/canister/

Article from: Fuwafuwa

Are you bored with having to work from home, drinking the same old beverages, not being able to travel abroad, so the opportunity to learn about each country’s tea culture by yourself has been missed. Today, MATCHAZUKI will take you to get to know the uniqueness, differences and strengths of each country’s tea instead of flying to taste it yourself. Let’s see what the strengths of tea, a universal beverage, are from each country, and what type of tea it is.

Start with Turkish tea , a tea served in a small glass with a sugar cube. Hot tea is a popular drink and can be drunk at any time and on any occasion. Turkish teapots are double-layered kettles with hot water on the bottom and tea leaves and hot water (tea). Place the kettle on the stove, add water to the bottom kettle and dry tea leaves to the top kettle. Do not add hot water yet. Wait until the water in the bottom kettle boils. Pour hot water from the bottom kettle into the top kettle until it covers the tea leaves. Place the top kettle on the bottom kettle. Turn down the heat and continue to brew. The tea brewing method is complete. To pour tea, pour tea from the top halfway into a teacup and add hot water from the bottom kettle. Adjust the strength to your liking. Add sugar cubes and stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir until the spoon and glass clink together to create a delicious tea experience. Turkey has many types of tea leaves, the most popular being black tea, apple tea, and chamomile tea.

Moroccans enjoy a refreshing green tea with mint leaves, which is a famously sweet tea, so don’t forget the sugar, and Moroccan tea is often served with a variety of dried fruits and nuts for dessert.

Kuwaitis love black tea mixed with cardamom and saffron. Tibetan tea is made with milk, yak butter and salt. It has a bitter taste, so it is popular among children, adults and the elderly. It is also a tonic for practitioners. Tibetan tea is usually black tea, pressed into blocks. In areas where yaks are raised, this type of tea is drunk by boiling it with milk. In central and parts of Kham, such as in Gyalthang (Shangri-La), butter is added, a little salt is added and pounded in bamboo tubes, resulting in a unique Tibetan beverage called butter tea. However, in areas where animals are not raised, fresh milk is hard to find, so salt is added to black tea. Interestingly, when Tibetan tea is kept in yak skin for more than ten years, it becomes “fermented tea”, which becomes a health tea. The older this type of tea is, the more valuable and expensive it becomes.

Hong Kong people add condensed milk to their tea and ice, similar to iced tea. However, Taiwanese tea is famous for its tapioca pearls, which originated when Taiwan added large pearls of boiled sugar to tea to enhance both the flavor and the interestingness of drinking tea. It has spread and become famous all over the world, not just in Asia, but even blonde Westerners cannot help but be amazed by the interesting novelty and the incredibly delicious taste of Taiwanese “pearl milk tea.”

American Tea Although Americans do not drink as much tea as the British, because Americans prefer to drink coffee rather than tea, tea plays a significant role in American society. During the period when the United States was a British colony, tea leaves that were to be brought to the United States were subject to taxes, which led to violent protests. This was the issue that led to the declaration of independence of the United States from England. In addition, it can be said that Americans revolutionized the way tea is drunk, which has become popular all over the world until today, namely, tea bags and iced tea. However, Americans still like to drink black tea, just like the British, and usually drink black tea with lemon and sugar. Baking soda is another ingredient that Americans add to make the tea taste smoother.

Pakistani Masala tea, made with spices and cow’s milk butter, is also known as “mixed-spiced tea.” It is mainly made with black tea leaves from the Assam state and is blended with a variety of Indian spices such as cardamom, star anise, coriander seeds, nutmeg and cloves. It was originally used as a medicinal and Ayurvedic drink thousands of years before the British introduced “tea” to the world. Today, Masala Chai is known around the world as a black tea steeped in milk. Westerners have adapted it into a “Tea Latte”, but Pakistani tea must have the sweetness of palm sugar, the richness of fresh milk and the aroma of spices.

As you can see, in addition to the Japanese green tea that everyone is familiar with, other countries also have different tea drinking cultures. The traditional taste of tea that we drink also changes in each country. If the COVID situation is over, I believe that many people will definitely go out to travel and taste tea in different countries.

Source

https://petmaya.com/21-tea-around-the-world-wow

http://theteashelf.com/teas-across-the-world/

http://thewoksoflife.com/2015/08/yuanyang-tea-hong-kong/

https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/russian-tea/

http://myturkeyfood.blogspot.com/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/61259075@N08/14486900931/

Article from: Fuwafuwa