Shizuoka Japan

Fujisan or Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a symbol of Japan.  It is geographically located in Shizuoka Prefecture, whose capital Shizuoka city is situated between Tokyo and Kyoto.  Fujisan still exudes an air of majesty even without its usual snow-capped top.  It is the highest mountain in Japan.

A view of Mt. Fuji from the University of Shizuoka in October, 2017

Having Japan's highest mountain Fujisan and deepest bay Suruga in its region, Shizuoka Prefecture is a hotbed for agriculture, forestry, fishery and vroom-vroom motorcycle industries, and is widely known for its two 'green' treasures.  One is wasabi, the quintessential condiment for sashimi and sushi.  Shizuoka is the birthplace and the leading producer of wasabi in Japan.  To serve it, freshly grated wasabi is divine but a tube of ready-to-use paste is handy.

Wasabi grater and fresh wasabi

The other green treasure of Shizuoka is none other than tea.  Shizuoka means quiet hills in Japanese.  The quiet hills are alive with the sound of tea leaves!  Being the number one tea producer in the country, Shizuoka's tea fields cover about 17,400 hectares of land and counted 9,617 tea farmers in 2015.  In other words, 40% of total tea area and 50% of total tea farmers in Japan are in this prefecture.  The tea farmers have the strong support of local government (i.e., Tea Industry Development Division) for growing their businesses.  

Shizuoka tea field

Tea in Japan is synonymous with green tea.  Tea leaves are customarily steamed to arrest oxidation after they are harvested.   Afterwards, tea leaves undergo the processes of rolling before they are dried.  The majority of Japanese green tea is sencha.  Sencha can be regular or deep steamed.  Deep steaming or fukamushi allows tea to become milder and less astringent.  Fukamushi sencha was pioneered in Shizuoka!

The following images were taken at the Center for Education and Research in Field Sciences of Shizuoka University.  The heritage equipment works wonders.

The suave sencha below was crafted by the participants of Japanese Tea Export Council Tea Study program held in October, 2017.  The fresh leaves were from the Shizuoka University's tea farm.  The fine rolling was not performed by a machine but by many pairs of hands (temomi process) under the guidance of a skilled tea maker.

Sencha made by participants

Temomi

In addition to sencha, Shizuoka also manufactures other types of tea, including semi-oxidized oolong and fully-oxidized black tea.  Here is a list of more readily available green teas on the market.  Shade-grown green teas, such as Gyokuro, contain higher levels of chlorophyll.

Tea	Shade Grown	Notes
Sencha	No	Regular and Fukamushi
Guricha	No	Leaves are not rolled.
Kukicha	No	Stems and twigs
Bancha	No	Late harvest
Gyokuro	Yes	About 20 days shading
Kabusecha	Yes	About 10-14 days
Tencha	Yes	About 20 days
Matcha	Yes	Stone ground Tencha
Hojicha	No	Roasted green tea
Genmaicha	No	Green tea + roasted rice

For all the tea in Japan or Shizuoka, Yabukita is the most widespread plant variety or cultivar to date.   It was a Shizuoka farmer Sugiyama Hikosaburo who developed and named the cultivar in the early 20th century.  Kudos to Shizuoka!  Along with Yabukita, there are many other cultivars thriving in the landscape of Shizuoka.   Although Yabukita yields reliable and quality crops, the other varieties offer diversity for both farmers and consumers.

Sofu cultivar tasting

The secrets to Japanese green tea preparation include soft water, adequate leaf to water ratio, lower water temperature, shorter steeping time and proper brewing vessels.  A tasty cup of Japanese tea may be described as well-balanced flavors of umami, sweetness, astringency and bitterness.  Furthermore, the vegetal and iodized aromas should embody the spirit of the terroir.  No perfumes have yet captured the essence of Japanese tea, not even Jo Malone's Japanese sencha inspired Jade Leaf Tea Cologne. 

Drinking tea not only quenches thirst but also likely maintains well-being.  The Tea Science Center at the University of Shizuoka has been conducting research into the health benefits of Japanese green tea.  The findings thus far indicate promising and positive effects of catechins, the main chemical components in green tea, on health; for example, alleviating stress, preventing influenza and managing dementia.  Myoan Eisai, the 12th century zen monk who brought back tea seeds from China, was probably right when he wrote, "Tea is the ultimate mental and medical remedy with the ability to make one's life more full and complete."

cantaloupe flavor kit kat and matcha - a balanced diet

Batabata Cha

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:

1. Mature tea leaves are harvested in August. 
2. Leaves are steamed until they are yellowish brown.   
3. Leaves are dried on a straw mat for half a day.
4. Leaves are placed in a wooden box, with controlled temperatures not higher than 60 C, for fermentation.  
5. Leaves are stirred or loosened every few days during the month long fermentation.
6. 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.

dried leaves

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.

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.

Whisked tea using a matcha whisk 

Pomelo Tea Experiment

Orange pu'er is ripe pu'er stuffed in mandarin oranges and aged.  Pomelos are also used for keeping pu'er.  In Taiwan, Hakka people preserve oolong in pomelos.  The creation of these dark oranges or pomelos is labor intensive and time consuming.  These teas are often valued for their touted medicinal properties from the combination of pectin and polysaccharide structures.

The two pomelo wrinklies below are the fruits of home experiment.

pomelo teas 

Steps:

1. Rinsed and dried 2 California-grown organic pomelos.
2. Cut an opening/a lid in each fruit.
3. Scooped out the meat to create cavities.  
4. Packed tea in each hollowed pomelo skin.
5. Put the lids back and bound with heat-proof strings.  
6. Baked in the oven at 200 F for 3 hours, or longer for a darker appearance.
7. Placed them in a well-vented area for 8 months.   

One pomelo contains inexpensive grocery store bought black tea fannings.

black tea pomelo

One contains a blend of two 'can't remember' green teas. 

green tea pomelo

The pomelos themselves still have a nice citrus fragrance.  The tea leaves and fannings are very dried and show no signs of mould.  The green tea is drinkable and has a hint of citrus fruit.  The black tea has a flavor similar to dishwater.  P. D. James, an English crime write, said,  "There comes a time when every scientist, even God, has to write off an experiment."

Fukamushi Sencha

There are three main styles of sencha based on steamed time.   Asamushi (light steaming) sencha is steamed for less than 30 seconds, futsuumushi (regular steaming) for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and fukamushi (deep steaming) about 1 to 2 minutes.  Steaming process is the traditional Japanese method of arresting oxidation after the tea leaves are plucked.

Longer steaming reduces astringency but makes the leaves fragile. The dried leaves of fukamushi sencha contain more smaller particles than those of asamushi or futsuumushi sencha.

regular (left) and deep steamed (right) senchas

This sencha was grown in Shizuoka prefecture.  The tea has a thicker mouth feel and a darker color than a regular sencha.  It is less bitter and less astringent.

Fukamushi sencha

Type:  Green   Producing Country: Japan    Preparation:  85°C 1 Min

Dry Leaf:  The leaves are dark green needles and broken pieces,
Wet Leaf:  The soft olive green leaves are mushy like cooked vegetables.
Liquor:      The olive green tea is cloudy.  It has some bitterness similar to cooked arugula.  Its flavor is predominately vegetal (spinach and zucchini) and refreshing.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

King Cole Tea

New Brunswick is one of Canadian Atlantic provinces.   New Brunswick was also one of the first provinces to join the Dominion of Canada in 1867, the same year two Barbour brothers established a food wholesale business in Saint John.   In 1910, the King Cole, from a British nursery rhyme "Old King Cole",  tea brand was introduced.   Red Rose is another brand that traces its origins to Saint John, New Brunswick.

Saint John, New Brunswick

Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick

After over 100 years, King Cole tea continues to be popular in the maritime provinces, more so than Nova Scotia's Morse's tea.   It was reported that a 60's box of King Cole tea was presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Moncton, NB, during her Royal visit to Canada in 2002.

King Cole 60 box

King Cole Orange Pekoe tea is a blend of black teas from Asia and Africa. Each tea bag makes a mug of full-bodied, bold, malty but comforting tea with or without milk.   It's strong, dark and good as a breakfast tea.

A mug of Kingcole

Tree Frog Green

The Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island may not be a tropical paradise, but it has the warmest average annual temperature in Canada, at balmy 11°C/52°F.   Its climate is conducive to growing grapes, in particular, the pinot varieties.   Tea or camellia sinensis appears to enjoy flourishing in the same terroir.   The Cowichan Valley is a region infused with arts, wines, and now tea.

The Teafarm, an organic farm located in Cowichan, began planting tea shrubs in 2010 and harvested its fruits of labor in 2016.  The first Canadian grown single estate tea was launched on July 1, 2016, eh?

Tree Frog Green is a first flush green tea.   The young leaves were picked, heated, rolled and dried.   The loose dried leaves include small to medium size buds and leaves.

This tea seems to be able to tolerate a longer steeping time or higher water temperature.   It can be infused 2 to 3 times.  The infusion is pale golden yellow and it is soft.

Tree Frog Green

Type:  Green  Producing Country: Canada  Preparation:  85°C 4-5 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark olive green twisted leaves are fresh and faintly biscuity.  There are leaves and leaves with buds.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are olive green and have pleasant and slight aromas of spices, herbs and raisins.
Liquor:      The yellow tea is sweet (but not sugary, more like Chinese licorice root's 'Gan') with undertones of spices (cloves, cinnamon and herbs) and steamed green beans.  It barely has any bitterness or astringency.   It is very light.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Taiwan Bi Luo Chun

Sanxia, near Taipei, in Taiwan is known for its Old Street,  Zushi Temple and tea.   Historically, Sanxia had always produced some green tea.   Green tea production there was revitalized after 1949 by the demand of those consumers who followed Chiang Kai-shek's nationalists from China to Taiwan.  The main green teas made in Sanxia are Long Jing (Dragon Well) and Bi Luo Chun (Green Snail Spring).

Sanxia Old Street

Zushi Temple

Sanxia's Bi Luo Chun and China's Bi Luo Chun are not alike.  They are produced from two different cultivars.

left: China Biluochun  right: Taiwan Biluochun

Sanxia's Bi Luo Chun comes from Chin Shin Gan Zhi cultivar.   One bud and two leaves are picked in the spring and fall to produce the tea.  This Bi Luo Chun is from a 4th generation tea farmer/maker.

Chin Shin Gan Zhi

JC Tea company - 4th generation tea maker

This tea embodies the characteristics of typical fine Chinese green tea: light vegetal and not grassy.    It is an excellent summer tea.

Sanxia Biluochun

Type:  Green   Producing Country: Taiwan   Preparation:  85°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark green twisted leaves are biscuity and fresh.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves smell honey and somewhat floral.
Liquor:      The pale yellow or lime green tea is sweet, smooth, slightly peachy and vegetal.  It is airy and has no bitterness.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Rou Gui Oolong

Mount Wuyi in Fujian, China, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.   The Wuyi topography is a landscape of majestic mountains, characterized by rocks, sandstones and rivers.   Many oolong teas are cultivated in this area, and they are commonly referred to as 'rock' teas.   The four well-known ones are Big Red Robe,  Iron Arhat, White Cockscomb and Water Golden Turtle. The more popular and affordable ones include Rou Gui and Shui Xian (Narcissus Flower).   Due to the terroir, Wuyi teas are said to embody unique 'rock bone' essence.  That is, these oolongs could figuratively transport you to the beauty of the Wuyi mountains through your cup.

Rou Gui is cinnamon or cassia bark in Chinese.   The Rou Gui cultivar is one of the many tea bush varieties in Wuyi.  This oolong is about 40% oxidized and medium-fired.   It is a comforting and warming tea.

Rou Gui

Type:  Oolong   Producing Country: China    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The leaves are dark brown, medium-sized and twisted. They have layers of aromas: exotic guavas, burning coals, herbal spices and white flowers.
Wet Leaf:  The dark brown leaves are toasty and slightly peppery.
Liquor:      The orange amber tea is toasty and chocolaty.  It is faintly sweet, fruity and herbaceous.  Its mouth feel is dry.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Medium-Fired High Mountain Oolong

The purpose of firing or baking at the final stage of tea processing is to improve or enhance the aromas and flavors of tea.   Firing is not meant for all teas but it works wonderfully for some oolong teas.   After oolong leaves have been rolled and shaped, they are quickly dried to remove extra moisture as well as to retain shape.   Depending on the desired outcome of a oolong, an experienced and skilled tea master will determine if firing is required and the temperatures and times of the firing step.   Traditionally, tea is placed in giant bamboo baskets, underneath which charcoal heat source is applied over a long period of time.   Contemporarily, alternative heat source (e.g., wood and electricity) and equipment are popular.   For example,  below is a small commercial tea baking oven available on the market:

tea baking oven

This medium-fired oolong is made from Qing Xin (green heart) cultivar grown at 3600 feet in Meishan area, southwest of Luku, in Taiwan.  It went through three-step slow firing.   It is more complex and richer than a 'green' type of oolong, and is best enjoyed using a multiple-infusion method to appreciate the depth and layers of the tea.  

Medium-fired oolong

Type:  Oolong   Producing Country: Taiwan   Preparation:  90°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:  These nice beads are clean, sweet and slightly toasty.   Hardly any stems are found.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are seductively sweet and aromatic.
Liquor:     A 5-minute, 2 g and 4 oz cupping produces an orange color liquor that is smooth, fragrant, sweet and floral.   When steeped a la Gong Fu, the first infusion is nutty or honey-nuttty.  The next infusion is about sweet honey and flowers.  The last infusion includes nice notes of orchid and wood.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Ethnic Group Pu'er Teas

Xishuangbana Mengyang Guoyan Tea Factory in Yunnan, China, produced sets of ethnic minority pu'er cakes in 2004/5 and 2006/7.   Each set contains four cakes, representing four ethnic groups (Hani, Bulang, Jinuo and Dai), the tea trees grown around the areas they reside, and their pu'er processes.  There are at least twenty-five minority groups in Yunnan and the majority of them have very rich tea cultures.

• Hani ethnic group: High Mountain Cloud Mist cake from early spring tea leaves picked from Nan Nuo Mountain

Hani High Mountain Cloud Misty Pu'er

• Bulang ethnic group: Organic Ecology cake from tea leaves grown by Bulang people on Bulang Mountain

Bulang Organic Ecology Pu'er

• Jinuo ethnic group: Longpa Ancient Arbor cake from Youle Mountain Longpa Ancient Tea Garden's tea leaves

Jinuo Longpa Ancient Arbor Pu'er

• Dai ethnic group: Daughter's Tribute cake with leaves picked by single young Dai girls.   

Dai Daughter's Tribute Pu'er

A comparative tasting of the 2004/2005 sample teas, Yunnan storage, is below. Methodology: 2 g leaves, 100ml water, 100C, one rinse and 5-minute brewing time.

Minority	Liquor	Leaves	Tasting
Hani	Golden amber	Leaves a bit smaller than Bulang’s and more compressed	Medium body, citrusy, plummy, sweet, some astringency
Bulang	Golden amber orange	Larger leaves	Thick, woody, licorice bitter sweet, spicy and lengthy in the mouth
Jinuo	Amber orange	Some buds and more chopped younger leaves	Medium to light body, wet rattanish, smooth but not complex
Dai	Light brown	More whole younger leaves	Medium body, sweet, mellow with a light sandalwood/incense aroma

Pomelo Flower Scented Teas

Pomelo or Shaddock is a citrus fruit native to Asia.  It looks very much like an over-sized grapefruit but is less acidic.   The flesh can be white or pink.  As for the blossoms of pomelo trees, they are white, showy and fragrant.   The very sweet-smelling flowers are used in some perfumes.

Pomelo

To produce scented teas, the tea farmers mix fresh pomelo flowers with tea leaves before removing them to further process the teas.   The following two teas are scented with these aromatic pomelo flowers.

The first impression of a pomelo flower scented Four Season oolong is a nice jasmine-like green tea.  The pomelo flowers add a citrus floral note to this Taiwanese oolong and enhance its greenness.  

Pomelo flower scented Four Season oolong

 Type:  Oolong  Producing Country: Taiwan   Preparation:  90°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:  The small semi-ball leaves of Four Season are floral (white flowers and orchid) and citrusy.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are green floral.
Liquor:   It is a straw color tea that opens with citrus and orchid notes, and gradually fades into a regular green oolong scent.  It is light and refreshing.

Tee Score: 4 of 5

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Taiwanese Red Jade is a flavorful black tea.  Pomelo flowers elevate it to an exotic black tea that is rich, lush and complex.   It is ideal for multiple infusions.
               

Pomelo flower scented Black tea

Type:  Black    Producing Country: Taiwan    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The long twisted leaves are a sweet bouquet of magnolia, freesia, plumeria and orange blossoms.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are aromatic:  malty, floral and citrusy.
Liquor:   The color of the tea is rich-brown.  The liquor has light astringency but is fairly malty sweet.  The floral and citrus opulence lingers long in the mouth, and sometimes it feels like having jujubes or jam.

Tee Score: 5 of 5

Yun Hong Black Tea

In the Wenshan District of Taipei, Taiwan, Muzha Tie Guan Yin and Wenshan Baozhong are two well-known oolong teas produced there.   Both fine oolongs are crafted from the tea leaves plucked in the spring or winter.  The local tea farmers normally forgo picking leaves in the summer and autumn because they consider the leaves from these two seasons to be too astringent to make quality oolongs.   But Taipei Farmers Association recently began to experiment with as well as to encourage the production of black teas from the summer and autumn leaves.  The payoffs are two new black teas:  Yun Hong (Rhythm Red from Chin Shin and small-leaf cultivars) and Tie Yun Hong (Iron Rhythm Red from Iron Goddess cultivar)

Taipei Tea Research, Development and Promotional Centre for Tieguanyin and Baozhong 

Small baking tools for Iron Goddess and Yun Hong

Yun Hong means Rhythm Red and is the inversion of Hong Yun (Red Rhythm). Yun Hong is not Hong Yun, which is from TRES 21 cultivar grown in Yuchi, Taiwan.

2015 Muzha black tea competition silver category seal

Silver category Yun Hong tea canisters 

This 2015 Yun Hong was created from the leaves of Chin Shin and other available small-leaf tea cultivars in the Wenshan District, Taipei.  It is marketed by Taipei Farmers Association.   It is a medium-bodied black tea.  It is smooth, simple and not spectacular.

Type:  Black    Producing Country: Taiwan    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The small and medium twisted leaves are black.  They have a nice biscuit or malty aroma.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves have a barely detectable floral scent.
Liquor:   The tea is amber brown.  The liquor smells malty.  It is slightly sweet and medium-bodied.   It lacks astringency and is smooth.  

Tee Score: 4 of 5

Meng Ding Gan Lu

Meng Ding Gan Lu hails from Sichuan Province, where giant pandas roar. Sichuan is reputed to be the birth place of cultivated teas and Meng Ding Gan Lu one of the oldest Chinese green teas.

Meng Ding Gan Lu is a green tea from Meng Ding Mountain in Sichuan, China.   Gan Lu means sweet dew and may trace its name back to a Taoist master Wu Lizhen, with the posthumous title of Master of Ganlu, who first planted seven tea bushes on Meng Ding Mountain around 53 BC.

The making of Gan Lu is more labour-intensive: rolling and wok drying are repeated three times to achieve a delicate tea bouquet.  Although Gan Lu is refreshing and delightful, it is a lot like other premium Chinese green teas.  However, it is special for its historical significance.

Meng Ding Gan Lu

Type:  Green   Producing Country: China     Preparation:  80°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The tippy leaves are tiny, olive green, curly and wiry.  Their appearance is delicate, and their fragrance is a mix of straws and dried mushrooms.
Wet Leaf:  Most of the leaf sets include a bud and one to two tiny leaves. The aroma is on the vegetal side - umami cooked green beans.
Liquor:   The tea is pale yellow in color.  It is airy and mellow, and tastes vegetal and chestnut sweet.

Tee Score: 4 of 5