A01-GENMAI GYOKURO
The teas shown below are higher quality teas than those normally available abroad. All of them are grown in Uji district, which is the most famous tea district in Japan. The rich dark soil of the Kansai region of Japan, that can be found nested in the valley of Uji, is the best in the country for growing tea. The muggy climate of the Uji river valley adds the final touch for a richer more improved flavor. Uji tea has more fragrance than teas from Shizuoka Prefecture and less bitterness than teas from Kyushu.
Offered are the products of the GOSHO-NO-EN plantation. Mr. TAKEMURA Ginjiro, the plantation owner, has over the years sold off the fields that produced inferior teas and kept only what he considers to be the best. After long debate Mr. Takemura and I decided to offer teas that were superior in quality from those offered from China as these Chinese teas are more reasonably priced in countries other than Japan.
ROASTED & POPPED RICE GREEN TEAS
A01-GENMAI GYOKURO
The really great thing about high quality green teas is you brew it more than once. Usually these are brewed 3 to possibly 5 times. The taste shifts with each brewing, almost like drinking another tea altogether.
Genmai Gyokuro (picture above) is Gyokuro green tea mixed with roasted and popped mochi (sweet sticky rice) rice giving it a unique toasted flavor and aroma. It comes in 100 gram bags.
Number : A01
Genmai Gyokuro
1,400 YEN
+ shipping
Sencha Genmaicha comes in two grades. Both are mixed with roasted regular rice. The variety of green tea is different. Both come in 100 gram bags
Number : A02
Sencha Genmaicha High Grade
1,300 YEN
+ shipping
Number : A03
Sencha Genmaicha Medium Grade
1,200 YEN
+ shipping
SENCHA - ROLLED GREEN TEA LEAVES FOR STEEPING
A02-KURETAKE
The really great thing about high quality green teas is you brew it more than once. Usually these are brewed 3 to possibly 5 times. The taste shifts with each brewing, almost like drinking another tea altogether.
Sencha is versatile. Like coffee it can be made very strong to be drunk in small amounts or weaker and served in larger quantities. We offer four distinctive varieties. They come in 100 gram bags.
Number : A04
CHOKO
3,200 YEN
+ shipping
Number : A05
KURETAKE
2,600 YEN
+ shipping
Number : A06
SEIRYU
2,200 YEN
+ shipping
Number : A07
ASUKA
1,900 YEN
+ shipping
GYOKURO & SENCHA SIEVING
The really great thing about high quality green teas is you brew it more than once. Usually these are brewed 3 to possibly 5 times. The taste shifts with each brewing, almost like drinking another tea altogether.
These are bargains ! The tea leaves are tossed in a basket after being finally processed to remove smaller and broken leaves. Tea people like to use these at home where looks are totally irrelevant and taste counts. They come in 100 gram bags.
Gyokuro no jin is extra special. It is the tiny leaf at the tip of the branch. Some plantations sieve this out so that the remaining larger leaves present a more attractive pattern in the pot. The taste is the same as the more expensive 'pretty' leaves.
Number : A08
GYOKURO NO JIN
2,500 YEN
+ shipping
Gyokuro no ko and Shincha no ko are just plain sievings minus the top little leaf. These are quite good and very economical.
Number : A09
GYOKURO NO KO
1,400 YEN
+ shipping
HOJICHA & SUMI-BANCHA
The really great thing about high quality green teas is you brew it more than once. Usually these are brewed 3 to possibly 5 times. The taste shifts with each brewing, almost like drinking another tea altogether.
These twigs and leaves are more of an evening tea as they contain much less caffeine than the gyokuro and sencha. Beware however the more expensive one carries a stronger punch. This and the sumi-bancha are the ones I really like to drink with Japanese food.
This charcoal roasting is unique to Kyoto. The tea is hand-stirred while being roasted on an iron plate over a charcoal fire. Sort of like stir-frying. Gosho-no-en still uses charcoal but many plantations have switched to gas. These are the everyday teas that are drunk instead of water, the pre-chlorine period water treatment method.
Number : A11
SPECIAL CHARCOAL ROASTED HOJICHA
1,800 YEN
+ shipping
Number : A12
CHARCOAL ROASTED STEM HOJICHA
1,500 YEN
+ shipping
Number : A13
CHARCOAL ROASTED HOJICHA
1,400 YEN
+ shipping
Number : A14
SELECT HOJICHA
1,300 YEN
+ shipping
Sumi Bancha - This one is brewed - boiled, but only once, is the every-day drink echoing back through the history of Japan. It's the lower leaves and stems and contains the least amount of stimulants. Only the Kyoto version is charcoal roasted. I love the stuff. Some of my older Kyoto friends are really surprised to learn how much I like this tea. A few of them will not drink it at all any more. One friend said "After 70 years of drinking this every day I've had enough!" Well I haven't been drinking it for that long yet.
A special note to the Chanoyu people out there. This is the tea you boil your iron kettles in for coloring and rust removal.
This comes in 300 gram bags.
Number : A15
CHARCOAL ROASTED SUMI BANCHA
1,400 YEN
+ shipping