CULTIVATION OF GREEN TEA
Green tea is an evergreen tea plant, belonging to the Camellia genus in the Theacea family. In Japan, it can be grown where the average temperature is 11.5C-18C and the average rainfall is 1500-2000mm per year. The regions with commercial production of green tea in Japan are therefore in the southwest.
The tea cultivator and quality: Not only climate and soil quality, but the knowledge, skill and experience of the tea cultivator will affect the quality of his product—its taste, colour, aroma, and appearance—in much the same way a wine producer’s will.
The tea plants: Production begins five to six years following the planting of the trees. The plant can live from 25-35 years, but it produces its best tea between the ages of 7 and 12.
Harvest: The tea harvest is from April to October.
First harvest is in April (beginning in the Kyuushuu, or southern island region, and gradually working its way to the mainland). This is called SHIN-CHA, or “new tea.” It is prized for its “umami,” and comprises 80% of total tea production.
Second harvest is in late June, and it is called “second tea,” or NI-BANCHA. It is of lower quality, and has a more bitter taste, than the first crop, and therefore it is less expensive. It is known for its health benefits, as it contains more catechine (polyphenols) than the first harvest; and though the taste is a little bitter, it is quite refreshing.
Third and fourth harvests are in late July and mid-September, respectively. The production is small as the price is low and it is therefore of less interest to the tea cultivator. In general, 500g of tea shoots produce 100g of refined tea.
GYOKURO and MATCHA: The tea flushes are covered by shades prior to harvesting, to protect them from direct sunlight, frost, or rain, which damage the delicate tips of the shoots. All new shoots are plucked by hand (Sencha, on the other hand, can be either hand- or machine-plucked). The highest quality of tea is made from the few first top new shoots
Green tea is an evergreen tea plant, belonging to the Camellia genus in the Theacea family. In Japan, it can be grown where the average temperature is 11.5C-18C and the average rainfall is 1500-2000mm per year. The regions with commercial production of green tea in Japan are therefore in the southwest.
The tea cultivator and quality: Not only climate and soil quality, but the knowledge, skill and experience of the tea cultivator will affect the quality of his product—its taste, colour, aroma, and appearance—in much the same way a wine producer’s will.
The tea plants: Production begins five to six years following the planting of the trees. The plant can live from 25-35 years, but it produces its best tea between the ages of 7 and 12.
Harvest: The tea harvest is from April to October.
First harvest is in April (beginning in the Kyuushuu, or southern island region, and gradually working its way to the mainland). This is called SHIN-CHA, or “new tea.” It is prized for its “umami,” and comprises 80% of total tea production.
Second harvest is in late June, and it is called “second tea,” or NI-BANCHA. It is of lower quality, and has a more bitter taste, than the first crop, and therefore it is less expensive. It is known for its health benefits, as it contains more catechine (polyphenols) than the first harvest; and though the taste is a little bitter, it is quite refreshing.
Third and fourth harvests are in late July and mid-September, respectively. The production is small as the price is low and it is therefore of less interest to the tea cultivator. In general, 500g of tea shoots produce 100g of refined tea.
GYOKURO and MATCHA: The tea flushes are covered by shades prior to harvesting, to protect them from direct sunlight, frost, or rain, which damage the delicate tips of the shoots. All new shoots are plucked by hand (Sencha, on the other hand, can be either hand- or machine-plucked). The highest quality of tea is made from the few first top new shoots