I went camping with my family in Mandokoro. It was a beautiful weekend showing my kids around the natural tea gardens of Mandokoro, experimenting with a different way of making a fire, trying out my hammock tent setup for the first time, enjoying some bushcraft, taking a cold plunge in the river for cold exposure, and simply having a great time in the outdoors!
The roots of the tea bush grow towards gravity. The bushes that grow on a horizontal surface first penetrate the shallow top layer of soft arable soil and then gradually reach the deeper layer of hardened subsoil. Topsoil is softer and contains more air, which makes it easier for the roots to penetrate and grow deeper. On the contrary, subsoil is a more densely compressed stratum in which it is more difficult for roots to spread into.
When the tea bush absorbs nitrogen from the soil as nutrition for its growth, it transforms the substance into amino acids. These amino acids are transported through the stem and twigs to feed the development of new buds and leaves.
re are three main tea farming methods that determine how the tea is grown and processed. Each specific method has a tremendous effect on the final appeal of the tea. Conventional (industrial) farming, organic farming and natural farming.
Mountains are creations of nature that have taken millions of years to reach their current grandeur. Mountains are formed of layers of soil that can be traced back to different eras in history. These layers of soil are formed of a variety of soil and rock types, housing different microcosms of bacteria and little organisms that produce nourishment for vegetation and regulate how nutrition is maintained or transported in the pores of the soil.
In similarity to wine grapes, tea bushes too are sensitive to the circumstances, the terroir of their surroundings. Weather conditions, altitude, the farms direct surroundings, soil composition, etc. are features that not only affect the taste and character of the final product, it often also imbues the tea with a distinct local trait; an individuality that only can be obtained at this specific farm.
An exclusive selection of top-grade naturally-grown, traditional Japanese teas by tea-master and organic tea sommelier Tyas Sōsen; first certified Belgian Japanese tea instructor and Tea-ceremony teacher in the Enshū school.
