Tea Adventures

Shincha- meaning new tea, will not be available for another…

Shincha- meaning new tea, will not be available for another couple weeks but we will put some up for pre-order only. Shops everywhere celebrate this spring harvest in Kyoto but the actual amount of Shincha made available is very little. The rest- Gyokuro and Sencha, are to be aged until September. With any luck, I have a bottle of water from the Ujikawa(Uji lake) that is mineral rich from having been under the sea eons ago. That water, the Shincha, together, should make an event already itself. The focus on these teas are so different we may have to hold 3 separate events for each separate country ….

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Hand rolled Shincha, auctioned for 88,888 yen a kilo ($888 usd)…

Hand rolled Shincha, auctioned for 88,888 yen a kilo ($888 usd) but only 400gm was produced. There were only 10 producers who could hand roll anyway. Mr. Taniguchi had us taste this inaccessible tea but gave us some to try for our harvest party and for our sommelier event. Producing the highest grade teas is his current mission, and many are going to be less than a kilo in production. That is perfect for us of course. Then, he takes out the top of the line Gyokuro from Nishikawa Sensei, and with cool water steeping, the stunning rich umami full mouthfeel, intense savory texture, a golden melted liquid- yume, meaning dream, was the word that came to mind.
Nishikawa Sensei follows the lunar calendar carefully for planting and harvesting. He uses, ready for this- ox intestines and bone, for fertilizer. As for pesticide- no worries. Pheromones are used to lure the male pests (mushi) away, and then not being able to mate, both male and female pest populations are now under control. Organic? No. Are we in danger? No way. Is it delicious? Much more so. No chemicals, lots of tradition. So…. We have to have some.

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Tea Adventures

At Uji, right outside of Kyoto, the birthplace of tea in Japan….

At Uji, right outside of Kyoto, the birthplace of tea in Japan. The top grade Gyokuro are covered for 30 days prior to harvest. But here in Uji, it is shaded for not only 45 days, but with Yoshizu 葦簀, a river tube like plant for making window blinds in the ancient times. Here a cover for shading the tea nursery, a labor intensive but specialized method. Taniguchi san explains that when it rains through the straw tubes, the rain water is even sweeter tasting, nourishing the plants. Modern convenient black tarp like shades can’t compare.

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Uji Cha, the best of Japan probably, but to me, most definitely….

Uji Cha, the best of Japan probably, but to me, most definitely. The balance of shibumi bitter and umami savory is bold, complex, memorable. The astringent greens of more commercialized regions are merely thin and bitter in comparison, with a sharp, shale aftertaste. The Uji teas are viscuous, broth like, with a mesmerizing dance that deserves meditation. But its exquisite liqueur is also unassuming, like the people who make it, and the mad river that runs through it- the Ujikawa- that’s clean, deep, and full of fossil minerality.

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Tea Adventures

Kanpeki 完璧means perfection. That definition suits Japanese-ness…

Kanpeki 完璧means perfection. That definition suits Japanese-ness more than anything else they strive for. It’s in the blood, so to speak, to always do a job well done, to give it one’s all, and to accept that although perfection is like the infinity curve, still, one’s life only has meaning when at least, effort is put in to try to reach perfection. Context is everything when you try to understand an old but living culture. If you don’t reach kanpeki, then die trying.
What is perfection in tea?

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