Tencha Tea
Sōon Organic

SKU
5528-bio
An exquisite rarity: high-grade and hand-picked organic tencha from one of the most renowned matcha farmers in Uji, Japan. Sourced directly from the tea farm. Ideal for grinding into matcha. 20g
  • Rare tencha green tea typically used for grinding into fresh matcha
  • Cultivated in Uji, the cradle of Japanese tea culture and home to the best tencha terroir
  • Rare, certified organic tencha
  • Ideal for grinding your own fresh matcha or for direct infusion
  • One of the best matcha farms in Japan; multi-award winner
  • Hand-picked (tezumi) selection of the best leaves
  • Complex tana shading system
  • Regular supervision and care by the tea farmer himself
  • In addition to this tencha, a matcha and usuore variety of the same tea are also available

 

Character Sweet grain, soft, maritime, matcha umami
Tea Garden One of the leading matcha farmers in Uji
Terroir Uji, Kyoto, Japan
Harvest 1st harvest (Ichibancha), May 2023; hand-picked (tezumi)
Cultivar Samidori
Elevation 13m above sea level
Shading Fully shaded for 37 days, tana technique (2 layers)
Organic Cert. EU certified organic, JAS organic
Laboratory Tests Radioactivity (region as of 11/2019)
Awards National Fair of Tea (全国茶品評会): 1st Place Tencha
Kyoto Prefecture Excellent Tea Farm Fair (京都府優良品種茶園品評会): 1st Place Tezumi & Tea Farm
Grade 99/100 p. (Tencha category); Highest Grade

Note: This tea was certified organic according to EU regulations in 2021; some (older) labels may not reflect this change.

€29.90
20g

Delivery : 1–3 business days

Incl. VAT, excl. Shipping

SKU
5528-bio
€1,495.00 / 1kg
In stock

Tea Farm

We source this tea directly from one of the most renowned matcha farmers in Japan, whose farm is located in Uji, the cradle of Japanese tea culture. The farmer has avoided the use of pesticides and artificial fertilisers for years due to his belief that they have no place in the process of producing authentic matcha. Moreover, he wished to remove himself from the vicious cycle in which ever stronger pesticides were contributing to the evolution of ever more resistant pests. Traditional cultivation methods, including the manual trimming of the tea plants each year as well as the springtime hand-harvesting (shizen jitate), presented challenges in this transition. After many years of experimentation and a few setbacks, the tea farm was successful in completely switching to pesticide-free cultivation and later to certified organic cultivation. The resulting tencha and usuore teas are pure and wonderfully aromatic.

Character

Flavour

A truly excellent tencha. Despite the crystal-clear, light cup, it is highly aromatic. When steeped for a sufficient amount of time at a low temperature, it reveals a complex umami that is in no way inferior to that of the finest matchas. In addition, this tencha has an intense sweetness, with a complete absence of bitterness, almost like an excellent dessert wine. The flavour is strikingly reminiscent of its big brother, our matcha Sōon.

Leaf

Even, completely vein-free dark green leaf blades

Cup

Light blue/green

TENCHA

Tencha is unmilled matcha. This exclusive intermediate product is difficult to obtain, even in Japan. Following shading and harvesting, the highest-quality leaves are freed not only from the stems but also from the fine leaf veins in a complex process, leaving only the pure, particularly intense-tasting leaf blades. The leaf veins, in turn, are used to make usuore tea, the highest-quality of all stem teas.

Laboratory Tests

We go to great lengths to identify the finest organic tea farms across the world’s most celebrated terroirs. All our teas are sourced directly from the farmer and, with a few exceptions, are certified organic or come from pesticide-free farms. Each batch of tea for every harvest is tested for pesticides and other pollutants in an independent German lab to ensure they meet our strict quality standards as well as HACCP food safety requirements. Likewise, the regions of Japan from which we source our teas are tested for radioactivity for every harvest.

Yoshi En

Premium Organic Teas

Our comprehensive portfolio focuses on organic, single-origin teas sourced directly from renowned farms. We believe in creating partnerships with farmers who share our values and are committed to sustainable, responsible tea cultivation. Thanks to these strong relationships our exciting range is constantly growing and evolving. As an international team of dedicated and passionate tea experts, we are committed to preserving centuries-old tea culture while ensuring it remains relevant and continues to bring joy in the present. About Yoshi En.

Cultivation & Processing

Our organic tencha Sōon tea goes through the exact same production process as its big brother, the premium matcha Sōon, with the exception of the final milling process. After 37 days of shading, the first flush is gently harvested by hand and steamed to stop fermentation. The carefully selected leaves are then cooled by air currents in special swirling machines to preserve their rich green colour as well as to separate any that may have gotten stuck together during steaming. In the next stage, the leaves are dried for about 20 minutes in a special tencha oven (tencha-ro) at a temperature of 90 to 180°C. Finally, the leaf blade is separated from the stalk and veins and cut into small pieces in a special machine (toh-mi) using blasts of air. While the separated stems and veins are turned into quality stem teas such as usuore, the leaf pieces can either be kept as tencha (shiage tencha; 仕上碾茶) or milled into matcha.

Single Origin

This tea comes from the above-mentioned tea field in Uji and is sourced directly from the tea farmer.

Organic Certification

Preparation

Brewing guide

3g, 60°C, 40-50ml, 4 minutes, for enjoying the full spectrum of flavours. Suitable for multiple infusions.

Recommended Teapot

A vintage banko kyusu (pre-1990s) made from 100% purple banko clay is ideal; vintage kyusus were made from original banko clay and the reduction firing of this famous clay brings out the best of tencha's flavour carriers, amino acids, chlorophyll and other special compounds. Otherwise, a high-quality, modern purple banko kyusu with a fine ceramic strainer is also very suitable.

Recommended Storage

A high-quality tea caddy made of cherry bark (solid wood, kabazaiku chazutsu) is ideal. Alternatively, a cheaper, internally coated, airtight tea caddy can suffice.

Packaging

High-quality, airtight, resealable standing zipper pouch with 9 protective layers to preserve flavour and protect against oxidation and contamination.

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