Toyama Prefecture sits along the coastline of Sea of Japan and is about 300 km NW of Tokyo. The region produces a fermented dark tea called Batabata Cha, traditionally served whisked into a foam on special occasions, or served unwhisked at anytime. A Japanese scientific study published in 2004 indicated this brew contains a significant amount of Vitamin B12.
Batabata Cha, with its history dating back hundreds of years, can likely trace its origin to China. To produce this tea:
- Mature tea leaves are harvested in August.
- Leaves are steamed until they are yellowish brown.
- Leaves are dried on a straw mat for half a day.
- Leaves are placed in a wooden box, with controlled temperatures not higher than 60 C, for fermentation.
- Leaves are stirred or loosened every few days during the month long fermentation.
- Leaves are dried in shade for half a day and then in the sun for a couple days.
The dried leaves are large, dark brown, crisp and fragile. They smell like the inside of grandmothers' wooden chests. Use about 3 g of leaves for 16 oz of water. Boil or steep the leaves for a minimum of 10 minutes.
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| dried leaves |
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| boiling batabata |
Serve it unwhisked. Its flavor profile can be described as woodsy, earthy and methanol, reminiscent of some Chinese raw pu'er. It is medium-light bodied and has a nice long finish.
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| unwhisked Batabata tea |
Add a pinch of salt and whisk it. A special double-headed long whisk is required to create a foamy tea. Using a matcha whisk only makes a thin layer of bubbles (see below). The motion to whisk batabata cha is left and right, striking the bowl and making a 'batabata' sound. The whisked tea becomes very mild and loses its woodsy and earthy characters.
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| Whisked tea using a matcha whisk |
