Like every other tea producing country Japan also has its own methods of grow- ing, harvesting, and processing tea that are uniquely theirs. The tea bushes are pruned in the fall and spring so that their first flush plants, ready for plucking in May or June are all the same size and fullness in each garden. |
Most of Japan’s plucking is done with mechanical shears or leaf harvesters, that give the rows an arched shape which maximizes the surface area for new growth and is easy to maintain.Japan produces mainly green tea and has Uji and Shizuoka pre- |
Japan has two distinct growing classifications for their highgrade teas; sun-grown tea and shade-grown tea. The sun-grown method is just as it sounds-the teas are grown under full sun for the entire growing season. Sun grown teas are: bancha, genmaicha, guricha, konacha, and sencha.For shade-grown teas the tea bushes are shaded for about 20 to 30 days before harvesting. Shade-grown teas are: kabuse-cha (considered a shade grown sencha), gyokuro (Jade Dew), and tencha (to make into high quality matcha).Shading of tea is only done for the top The reason behind shading the tea bushes caffeine, sugars, and flavanols within the Approximately 20 to 30 days before harvesting, just as the For the most expensive teas and for large gardens with huge Rain is also able to filter through the netting, so the tea plants get ample moisture, while A small amount of dappled light (about 10%) is still able to filter The side and top tana netting can be rolled up or back for increas- The second shading method, jikagise, is used by small growers To access the plants it must be rolled back one section at a time, making it more time
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The pluck for tencha (made into the highest grade matcha) is a bud and three leaves, which includes slightly older leaves to add a bit of character to the finished flavor of matcha. For gyokuro the pluck is a bud and two leaves.Basically production of tencha and gyokuro is the same but for one step. Both tencha Gyokuro is a lightly sweet, rich tea with uniquely Japanese vegetal flavor, that goes through a series of unique steps So, if by chance you get to try one or both of these outstanding teas, you can rest Enjoy. |