2024 Sakura-No Shincha Moe Japanese green tea

In a way, this is the pinnacle of our seasonal Japanese green teas - it is all about the spirit and the terroir of the tea. Namely, the producer Kazuya Matsumoto in Kumamoto, Kyushu, South-Japan, follows an ancient Japanse agricultural philosophy of not using any fertilizers, including the organic ones, to help his plants grow. This is the difficult approach to farming as his yield is significantly lower compared to other farms, but he is happy with what nature provides. Furthermore, his plants are old-growth, over 70 years old (which is considered very old in the context of Japanese teas). These seed-grown plants are genetically diverse and have developed deep roots over many years. This gives the tea a special flavour and long aftertaste, but more importantly, the leaves are brimming with vitality, astounding life energy. Harvested 20th of April from Yabukita varietal bushes. This tea is NOT certified EU organic, Matsumoto consideres his approach to be of a higher standard and is not motivated to certify his tea, especially as only a few kilograms are sold outside Japan every year.

Shincha, literally "new tea" is the very early first harvest of the season, usually plucked a week or more before the regular harvest. For this style of tea, only the youngest buds and leaves are carefully selected and the tea typically undergoes a very short steaming process, preserving the raw essence of the leaf. Most of shincha is consumed up locally within Japan and very little is sold abroad.

Quantity: 50g