Single Estate
Kasuga, Gifu prefecture.
Single Cultivar
Native, seed-grown bushes.
100 to several hundred years old.
Green Tea
Pesticide-free, natural Sencha.
New Harvest
Spring, 2022.
Additional information
The tea garden is tended to in a natural farming way.
No fertilizer and no agrochemicals are used during cultivation at all.
The tea bushes depend on their environment for nourishment and growth.
This creates the tendency to produce buds at a slower pace, making spring harvest possible several weeks after harvest has already started elsewhere.
The farmers only harvest once a year in spring. This keeps the tea bushes healthy and vigorous.
The most interesting trait of a seed-grown native cultivar tea garden is that if there are 100 tea bushes in the garden, you have 100 different types of tea bushes.
It’s a natural blend.
About manufacturing:
Harvest is done by hand, but processing is done by a local small-scale sencha processing factory.
This factory is equipped with small-batch processing equipment allowing to process each manufacturer’s tea individually.
When the raw sencha returns from the processing facilities, the manufacturer manually (using bamboo sieves and tweezers) separates the powdery leaf, the good leaf and the coarse leaf. But she aims not to remove the twigs from the tea. She believes that the twigs bring sweetness to the tea, which produces a better overall balance in the finished product.
Visit the manufacturer with me
About the manufacturer
Sayo Nakamura trusts in the vitality of her native tea bushes. With their centuries-old roots they gain vitality and nourishment from the deeper layers of he soil. She feels that to create an authentic tea it is this feature that contributes most to the inherent power and energy of the tea. Unfortunately se says, not many manufacturers, even in this region, realize this vital trait.
About the tea garden
Chabobo-en
ちゃぼぼ園
60 ares.
Tea mountain.
Altitude approx. 200~400 m.
During its 760 year long history, the region has been famed for being the nation’s treasury for medicinal herbs. It produced a lot of the necessary natural ingredients for crude medicine and Chinese herbal medicine. Also its tea has long been favored throughout Japan. Unfortunately, the village is struggling to keep up as more manufacturers are growing older and tea gardens are being abandoned.
Geological features:
Limestone.
Soil type:
Crumbly black topsoil, porous hardened lava.
Direction and angle:
NESW; 20~45 degree slope angle.
Ridge direction and shape:
Mosaic shaped; turtle back motif.
About the climate
Climate:
Lots of rain; Large temperature differences. On certain days we have morning dew and evening dew. This helps the bushes to absorb the amino acids in the air for more sweetness.
Surroundings and environmental circumstances:
Surrounded by mountains. Different tea fields created from wild tea bushes are spread out over the mountain surface.
Brewing guidelines
Suggested measurements for 1 portion.
Amount of tea
3g
Water temperature
98℃
Water amount
200cc
Steeping duration
40 sec
Suggested no. of infusions: [4~5]
Additional comments:
Begin with a shorter infusion to express the aroma. Gradually increase steeping durations.
Liquid Jade Sencha Kasuga 30g
$14.00
Availability: In stock
Jorge Luis Vázquez Ochoa (verified owner) –
Totally different to a sencha that I’d tried. before. At the beginning I was skeptical about steeping temperature but I do it according with the instructions of this page. No bitter at all with bowling water! First steep so milky so silky, round and a sweet aftertaste. Second and third increase these features. Very different to a traditional sencha, I think because it’s a native cultivar and it’s organic. In a common sencha it’s easy to bitter the tea, but this is very friendly. It hasn’t the umami that I expected but instead it’s very soft, pleasant and calming like a pretty woman when you see it can inspire you to write a poem
Victoria (verified owner) –
Love this tea ! Smooth – Sweet – Refreshing –
Every brew has a full flavor and it’s a pure Sencha experience.
It’s like tasting nature in every sip.
Richard Panse –
I just sampled this as part of my Monthly Tea Crane Subscription and all I can say is, “wow!” Such an amazing taste. I shouldn’t be surprised since all of the Tea Crane Teas are just the best teas I’ve ever sampled. Bravo, this is so delicious.
Richard Panse –
All I can say is, “wow!” Such an amazing taste. I shouldn’t be surprised since all of the Tea Crane Teas are just the best teas I’ve ever sampled. Bravo, this is so delicious.