Description
Sayamamidori Ichou Sencha, Sayamacha, Saitama Pref., 50g - 2024 Shincha (New Harvest Tea)
Origin: Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture
Cultivar: Sayamamidori
We are pleased to bring back Sayama-cha, teas from Southwest Saitama Prefecture, after a long absence. This particular tea is special as an Ichou (Withered) Sencha created by Shimizu-san of Bizenyacha in Hidaka, Saitama.
The techniques of allowing a short withering period and then mild roasting creates a tea that is still Japanese green tea, but starting to lean towards an Oolong. Some call these teas Japanese Green Oolong. This Sayamamidori Sencha has a faint grassy and smoky aroma and taste that highlights the unique roasting process on the hoiro, the traditional table covered with washi paper for rolling the leaves over heat that is seldom used these days. After the first infusion, very little steeping time is needed to bring out the grassy taste with a fair amount of shibumi, astringency, that many desire in a Japanese tea.
Sayamamidori was the first cultivar from Saitama Prefecture to be registered. This was in 1953, and the cultivar was named after the region in southwest Saitama from which it came, and which is still the main area of tea production in the prefecture. Over 60+ years, it has built a loyal following of tea growers and tea drinkers in the region. When I lived in neighboring Tochigi Prefecture, Sayamamidori Sayama-cha (Sayama tea) was my usual daily tea. The light roasting using the Hoiro method gives the leaves a deep dark color and rich flavor. Ichou Sencha from Sayama will give you a new flavor and aroma experience in Japanese teas.