Sencha Kagoshima Kuritawase | Asamushi Ichibancha - Option: 50 g

Asamushi Sencha Kuritawase is a high-quality Sencha of the cultivar Kuritawase 栗田早生 from Kagoshima Prefecture, one of Japan's best tea regions. Masterfully processed, lightly steamed to create a delicate drink with sweet vegetal notes and a lovely aftertaste. This Sencha, like most Japanese green teas, is not pan-roasted but steamed. Another peculiarity is that it undergoes a shorter steaming process. In Japanese, Asamushi 浅蒸し means lightly steamed, as the tea is steamed for less than 40 seconds, as opposed to the usual Chumushi 普通蒸し steaming, which typically takes 40 seconds to 90 seconds. There is also a deep steamed version called Fukamushi 深蒸し, our Shizuoka Yabukita Fukamushi Sencha is the best example. The length of steaming directly affects the size of the leaf in the finished tea. The longer the steaming process, the finer and smaller the resulting dry leaves. Therefore, Fukamushi teas tend to have very fine, small leaves. In contrast, Asamushi teas retain larger, more intact leaves.

As expected of Sencha Asamushi teas, it has very fine, long slender leaves that have a polished appearance with a vibrant dark green color. They give a clear fresh yellow-green liquor with a sweet and slightly spicy grassy aroma. The first thing that strikes you about the taste is the delicious sweetness and overall smooth, easy-drinking feel. The overall grassy profile has sweet vegetal and slightly spicy umami notes reminiscent of pumpkin and sweet potato. There is no astringency or tannins in the aftertaste. Other infusions bring less sweetness and more vegetal flavors that lean toward fresher notes of celery and green pepper.

Kuritawase 栗田早生 is a very early cultivar that can be found in Kagoshima Prefecture. Since southern Japan is warmer, early cultivars offer the advantage of having the first Shincha teas earlier than the rest of the country. Kurita Mosaburō 栗田茂三郎 from Shizuoka Prefecture came to live in Nishinoomote City, Kagoshima Prefecture. In 1909, he brought tea seeds of native tea plants from Shizuoka. Then in 1927 he selected the best tea plant thanks to the instructions he received from Sugiyama Hikosaburō. In the 1960s, the use of the cultivar was supported by authorities and slowly spread throughout the region.