Ikkyu White Tea from Yame
Rather than being a deep shade of green, the dry leaf was incredibly pale in color. I've never seen a Japanese tea that looked quite like this.
Ikkyu Tomomi
Country of Origin: JapanLeaf Appearance: jade green, curledSteep time: 90 secondsWater Temperature: 175 degreesPreparation Method: kyusuLiquor: bright yellowish green When we think of Japanese green teas, we all probably get a similar mental picture: deep green leaves with a fine, needle-like shape. There are exceptions every rule though. Kamairicha is a traditional Japanese tea that is pan-fried rather than steamed during the “kill green” step. The process makes the tea smoother with a nuttier taste. This style of tea is a bit of a specialty for Kyushu tea farmers but it can still be quite hard to find, even within Japan. This particular tea is a blend of the yabukita and kanaya midori cultivars. The taste was vegetal and…
Ikkyu Ayumi High-Grade Sencha
Country of Origin: Yame, Japan Leaf Appearance: deep green, needle-like Steep time: 1 minute Water Temperature: 140 degrees Preparation Method: kyusu Liquor: bright green, slightly cloudy A few months ago I received a message through Tumblr from Joelle, one of the people behind Ikkyu, a new-to-me tea vendor. The fact that they specialize in teas from Kyushu really caught my attention. Not only was their website full of information, but they also listed an adorable cat named Marcello as one of their team members. What’s not to love? Japanese green teas are a bit underrepresented here on the blog. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them, I just don’t receive as many samples…
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