Water makes all the difference in tea. The best teas in the world could be ruined by bad water. But here in Kyoto, the texture of the water makes custard soft tofu, bouncy ramen, and everything else heavenly for the palate in between.
There is a fierce discussion going on at the ISO regarding the definition of real matcha. There are lots of powdered tea, powdered tea from other countries, and then it gets down to details, as far as Mr. Koyama is concerned, how many days the tea plants are shaded, whether they are deveined and flat or rolled to extract more flavor ( because without shading there is much less flavor), etc. Highly professional requirements that large manufacturers who just want to supply ‘matcha’ to Starbucks wants the definition to stretch. Mr. Koyama was far too gracious, in my humble opinion, in terms of the definition. The best teas grown from the best water source is Uji but matcha doesn’t have to come from Uji per se. Rather, shading the teas more than 20 days ( their top grades are shaded for 1 month) to coax the utmost chlorophyll and flavor, and a production process with such minute care as the family secret stones cut a certain way, as well as not milling more than 40gm slowly per hour per mill, ensuring not overheating the leaves, make a pronounced and very obvious flavor difference. Life is short, we will not be drinking bad matcha, and that is unfortunately, most of what is in the U.S.
Today: visiting with Marukyu Koyamaen, arguably the makers of the best matcha in the world. For discussion: The definition and importance of real matcha: coming up in detail.
Staying in a 400 year old, old, Japanese temple and living with amenities from the 18th century. The grass is unkempt outside and the cicadas are loud with their pronouncement of summer. The bath is to pour your own water over your head. I keep wondering if I’ll run into a samurai ghost. It’s been really bizarre to merge all the elements of life anywhere. So far, I’ve been in places as disparate as a 5th century AD mud hovel in Yunnan, live and work tea production house on top of the mountain in Phoenix Mtn, lived with ducks under my feet at Anxi, on the 16th floor in Hong Kong Island, in a farm ‘hotel’ underneathe beetlenut trees in Nantou, and today, in a time capsule back to a tatami room in the Kannonji Temple, Kyoto. Been speaking China Mandarin, Cantonese, Hong Kong Canto slang, Taiwanese Mandarin, and today, Japanese, barely. And then writing it all down in English.
In Kyoto today, after a long day of traveling and dealing with wifi woes. It’s the second day of Shincha, so will see how it goes at Uji. Tonight, a friend’s welcoming kaiseki dinner, and with the bamboo leaf wrapped rice similar to the Chinese tradition for commemorating Chu Yuen, at the Dragon Boat Festival May 5th. Many of the cultural elements shared in ancient times remain intact in Japan, with their own twist. Japan is all about rules and following them. That’s how everything is kept in order. I wonder, how do the Chinese tourists fare in Japan, two extremes in observing etiquette and consideration? My friend says Chinese tourists have been welcome. Money talks above all.
This year I decided on some top notch Four Seasons, a more or less entry level accessible intro to Taiwanese oolong, with all the aromas of a tropical island, spiciness, and dry fruit peel finish. It is a great year for tea drinkers and woeful one for the farmers. The price did not increase much though there is no quantity, the Taiwanese are fair. The teas are determined by elevation and so, they don’t inflate prices such as the way they do in China. So I encourage everyone to try Taiwanese Oolongs this year, at least even at an inexpensive Four Seasons. I always maintain- if you did the math on tea bags, you might cry. 1.5gm of tea dust at $45 per lb or $120 p/lb for those ‘silken’ teabags made with plastic and filled with- who knows what. You might as well support real artisans from places of origin! And I, for my part, can continue to travel, personally inspect and get to know, the artisans and their teas and never buy mass produced, possibly tainted, middlemen handled, mediocre tea at expensive quality vs. price ratios!