Saemidori Tamaryoku-cha; Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture, 50g. Naturally grown. - 2025 First Harvest

Saemidori Tamaryokucha - 2025 First Harvest Tea. Naturally grown with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
Origin: Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture
Cultivar: Saemidori

This Mushi-sei (steamed) Tamaryokucha has has nicely comma-shape rolled leaves and a light grassy aroma. It infused to a light golden-green and medium body. Amami (sweetness) notes are up front, like honeydew melon, with very little astringency on the first infusion. Slightly hotter water brings out a little shibumi (astringency) and balance, but it still drinks smoothly with both sweet and astringent, but still very pleasant, notes. 

Tamaryoku refers to the rolling method of production where the leaves are rolled into a ball, or coiled, instead of the more prevalent needle shape rolling technique used in the final stages of making Sencha, and which is much more widely used in Japanese green teas. The resulting "comma" shaped leaves often infuse to a golden-yellow or light golden-green tea, with low astringency. While the tea and early processing techniques are the same as that for Sencha, skipping the final (needle-shape) rolling technically makes it not a Sencha in the sense of the common Uji-method of Sencha production. Years earlier, I used , and heard, the term "Tamaryoku Sencha," but this term now seems very little used in the industry. It is the common rolling technique used in the Kyushu Prefectures of Saga (Ureshino Teas), Nagasaki (Sonogi Teas), Kumamoto, and Miyazaki. It is also referred to a "Guri-Cha" (curly tea), most often in Nagasaki and Kumamoto, but both terms are used in different parts of Japan when referring to Tamaryokucha.

The city of Hioki is on the western coast of Kagoshima, facing out towards the East China Sea. It is a recently formed city created by the mergers of the small towns of Fukiage, Higashiichiki, Hiyoshi, and Ijuuin. Tea farmers there grow a variety of cultivars, including this fine example of Saemidori.