What is Hojicha

Hojicha (焙じ茶) meaning ‘roasted tea’ ,is still a green tea although it is not green in colour. This type of tea is, unlike common green tea, brown in colour as the leaves are roasted in order to achieve their unique character and nutty flavour. Hojicha can originate from either Sencha, Bancha or Kukicha but most often one would find it made from the slightly bigger and coarser leaves of the sun- grown Bancha or Kukicha. As these leaves are more dense and show a firm structure they are not so heat sensitive and can easily be further processed by roasting after steaming and drying. For roasting the tea leaves evenly a charcoal or sand roasting technic is often used for the final step. By bringing the tea to a high temperature almost all of the tea’s caffeine is extracted from the leaves. This makes Hojicha a wonderful drink throughout the day and especially suitable for the evening. Due to its roasted flavor it is often consumed by people who want to change from coffee to tea.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.

How to Brew Hojicha

The name Kyobancha (京番茶) can be a bit misleading as the word ‘bancha’ reminds us of regular Bancha. A kind of tea that is steamed, rolled and dried after harvesting. Kyobancha is a speciality of Kyoto Prefecture, where ‘Kyo’ in its name refers to the tea’s origin while ‘bancha’ simply means ‘common tea’.

The leaves for producing Kyobancha are harvested in late March. Despite this early harvest it is not part of the first flush, which begins at the start of May. After being picked, the leaves are steamed in order to stop the oxidation process and then dried and roasted. There is no rolling process involved in the production. The brewed tea is light and nutty with a slightly smokey flavour. Its low caffeine content makes it a perfect every-day beverage that can be enjoyed throughout the entire day.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.

What is Bancha?

Bancha (番茶) means ‘common tea’ or and is a type of Japanese tea that is popular for daily use. Depending on the specific kind of Bancha, the leaves for its production may originate from a spring, summer or autumn harvest. Bancha can be made from the leaves left-over from the first crop or from late summer growth. Taken from the lower part of the plant the leaves are slightly bigger and have a firmer structure than the ones used for Sencha. After the harvest and steaming, the whole leaves, including stems, go through the same rolling process as Sencha. The end product is slightly flatter needles due to of the different quality of leaves. As it is made from coarser leaves and contains stalks and stems, it is low in caffeine but at the same time it is full of nutrition. As the lower leaves are shielded from the sun by the upper ones fewer bitter compounds are produced. This and the large size of the leaves contributes to the tea’s mild and refreshing taste.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.

What is Genmaicha?

Genmaicha (玄米茶) is a traditional Japanese tea that has been growing in popularity in recent years. Genmaicha, actually meaning ‘brown rice tea’ is a composition of Japanese green tea and roasted rice. Combining the two traditional Japanese products tea and rice makes Genmaicha an unmistakable exponent of Japanese culture. Although it is called genmaicha, white mochi rice is usually used to create this blend. This is due to the fragrant aroma the white rice develops by roasting. After steaming, drying and roasting the rice is traditionally combined with Bancha tea in a proportion of 1:1, although this ratio can change depending on the manufacturer. Nowadays a lot of genmaicha variations, such as sencha genmaicha or houji genmaicha are also offered by different tea producers. Some might call Genmaicha ‘popcorn tea’ as some sellers add popped grains that look just like popcorn. The pleasant roasted taste also reminds people a bit of popcorn. This is a good tea for those who are just beginning to get familiar with the taste of Japanese tea.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.

How to Brew Genmaicha

Sencha (煎茶) is the most popular tea in Japan and is unique in its distinctive emerald colour and grassy, vegetal taste. Directly translated as brewing tea, 80% of all green tea produced in Japan is considered Sencha. After being picked, the tealeaves are immediately steamed for about 40 to 50 seconds to prevent them from oxidising. The tea is then rolled in several processes: rough rolling, strong rolling, middle rolling and finally fine rolling. This transforms the leaves into the beautiful needle shapes that are typical of Japanese tea.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.

Sencha (煎茶) is the most popular tea in Japan and is unique in its distinctive emerald colour and grassy, vegetal taste. Directly translated as brewing tea, 80% of all green tea produced in Japan is considered Sencha. After being picked, the tealeaves are immediately steamed for about 40 to 50 seconds to prevent them from oxidising. The tea is then rolled in several processes: rough rolling, strong rolling, middle rolling and finally fine rolling. This transforms the leaves into the beautiful needle shapes that are typical of Japanese tea.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.

Sencha (煎茶) is the most popular tea in Japan and is unique in its distinctive emerald colour and grassy, vegetal taste. Directly translated as brewing tea, 80% of all green tea produced in Japan is considered Sencha. After being picked, the tealeaves are immediately steamed for about 40 to 50 seconds to stop them from oxidising. The tea is then rolled in several processes: rough rolling, strong rolling, middle rolling and finally fine rolling. This transforms the leaves into the beautiful needle shapes that are typical of Japanese tea.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.

]]> https://wholesale.obubutea.com/product/organic-kabuse-sencha-1000g/feed/ 0 3117 https://wholesale.obubutea.com/product/organic-basic-matcha/ https://wholesale.obubutea.com/product/organic-basic-matcha/#respond Wed, 04 Dec 2024 02:57:42 +0000 https://wholesale.obubutea.com/?post_type=product&p=2040 Taste: Astringent Body: Medium Texture: Sharp Length: Medium Harvest: July Tea Cultivar: Mixed Origin: Wazuka Cultivation: Shaded Processing: Steamed, Dried, Ground ]]> What is Matcha?

Matcha (__) is a fine powder made from whole ground tea leaves, and is distinctive in its rich flavour and deep green colour. The young shoots are shaded for 3-4 weeks, and after harvesting and drying the stems and veins are removed from the leaf to make Tencha. This is then ground into a powder using a stone mill or ball mill. Traditionally, Matcha is prepared by dissolving the powder in hot water, and a bamboo whisk (chasen) is used to froth up the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. Matcha plays an important part in the Japanese tea ceremony, the Sado or the Way of Tea, where tea preparation is used to emphasise beauty, simplicity and tranquility.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.

How to Make Matcha

Matcha (__) is a fine green powder made from whole ground tealeaves, and is distinctive in its rich flavour and dark green colour. The young shoots are shaded for 3-4 weeks, and after harvesting and drying the stems and veins are removed from the leaf to make Tencha. This is then ground into a powder with a stone mill or ball mill. Traditionally, Matcha is prepared by dissolving the powder in hot water, and a bamboo whisk (chasen) is used to froth up the mixture to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. Matcha plays an important part in the Japanese tea ceremony, the Sado or the Way of Tea, where tea preparation is used to emphasise beauty, simplicity and tranquility.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.

How to Make Matcha

The name Kyobancha (___) can be a bit misleading as the word ‘bancha’ reminds us of regular Bancha. A kind of tea that is steamed, rolled and dried after harvesting. Kyobancha is a speciality of Kyoto Prefecture, where ‘Kyo’ in its name refers to the tea’s origin while ‘bancha’ simply means ‘common tea’.

The leaves for producing Kyobancha are harvested in late March. Despite this early harvest it is not part of the first flush, which begins at the start of May. After being picked, the leaves are steamed in order to stop the oxidation process and then dried and roasted. There is no rolling process involved in the production. The brewed tea is light and nutty with a slightly smokey flavour. Its low caffeine content makes it a perfect every-day beverage that can be enjoyed throughout the entire day.

Farmer Profile

Nakai’s family has been farming tea for eight generations. Almost 30 years ago, his father began farming organically after discovering high levels of pesticides in his blood. This news was the inspiration to grow tea in a safe and natural way. Now Nakai’s teas are certified by the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and have equivalent USDA and EU organic certification.