Tokushima is a prefecture of Japan that is located on the island of Shikoku. When one thinks of Japanese tea, Tokushima is probably not the prefecture that comes to mind. That is, especially when one thinks about green teas such as sencha. However, Tokushima, as well as the Shikoku area in general, have some very interesting folk teas that are region-specific. For instance, awabancha is a traditional fermented folk tea that is still produced in a few of the mountain villages of this prefecture. This tea often gets attention for the unique way in which it is produced, with a unique bacterial fermentation, which gives it a distinctive aroma. There is also kancha, a regional folk bancha that is made in the winter time. While the sencha from Tokushima is not as famous as those from the major tea producing regions such as Kagoshima, Shizuoka, and Kyoto prefecture, there are some good senchas produced in the Prefecture, mainly in the mountainous areas of Miyoshi City and Nakacho, Naka Town. It is grown on the cool, steep slopes of the mountains, and the teas here are said to be characterized by their rich flavor and aroma. In today’s post, we will spotlight some of the teas that are loved by the people in this Prefecture.
Map of Shikoku, Tokushima Prefecture is the one in redish pink; from photo-AC.
Awabancha
When I think about teas in Tokushima Prefecture, the tea that first comes to mind is awabancha. Simply defined, “awabancha” is tea that has been anaerobically fermented in a barrel packed with tea leaves and filled with water. According to a legend passed down in Awa and Tokushima, the beginning of awabancha is said to be when Kobo Daishi, a famous buddhist monk who traveled in China, taught tea-making techniques about 1,200 years ago. This tea-making technique was mainly passed down in the mountainous areas of Tokushima Prefecture, and has been enjoyed by people of all ages and genders in the Prefecture since ancient times. In the old days, at elementary schools, students would put a kettle on the stove and they would always have awabancha in it. It has been loved as the prefecture's local tea. Notably, owing to the lactic acid fermentation process known as "post-fermentation tea-making," the tea has a sour flavor, which is quite rare in the world of tea. This tea is not just enjoyed for its fermented flavor, it also has a unique fragrance and freshness and can be enjoyed chilled in the summertime.
Michiko-san's handpicked awabancha from Kamikatsu, Tokushima Prefecture.
Awabancha has thrived as a specialty of two main mountain village areas in Tokushima Prefecture: Nakacho, Naka district (formerly, Aioi town area) and Kamikatsucho, in the Katsuura district of Tokushima Prefecture. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to visit Tokushima during the awabancha making process which happens during the hottest time of the year (mid-August to early September).
Still, when I visited Kamikatsu this past June, it was clear that awabancha is an essential part of life in this small village of under 1400 people. To illustrate, it is served locally in numerous places throughout the town (e.g., shops, lodging, and in homes), and one can even find awabancha flavored ice cream there! Notably, awabancha production is not limited to these two locations. In the surrounding areas, tea farmers produce awabancha and families may also make the tea for their own consumption. In Kamiyama, Tokushima Prefecture (one of the neighboring towns of Kamikatsu), I have also come across a handful of awabancha teas at their michi-no-eki (roadside station). In fact, some of these tea farmers recently inherited abandoned tea bushes when they moved to Kamiyama, and started making awabancha. I find it to be a nice way to keep the tradition alive even if the tea is made by people who are not originally from the region.
Here, a word about “bancha”. In general, “awa” is the old/traditional name of the region which represents Tokushima and “ban” refers to the late harvest of the tea leaves. While the bancha part is often written with the same kanji characters as that of bancha green tea (番茶); more recently, the character “ban” (晩), signifying “evening,” has started to be more common when referring to awabancha. This is a way to distinguish the two processing methods.
Different types of awabancha
Awabancha can be called differently depending on where it was produced. For instance, “Aioi bancha” is the awabancha that is produced specifically in Nakacho (Aioi), located in the Southern part of the Prefecture. Similarly, “Kamikatsu bancha” is awabancha from Kamikatsu, central Tokushima. Some people may have heard of Kamikatsu due to the zero-waste initiative there. Jidencha (神田茶), is another awabancha that specifically comes from the Jiden district in Kamikatsu, a district that is well-known for its longevity. It is considered the finest quality awabancha, and this reputation has held since ancient times. This is because the tea comes from a mountain village that is rich in nature, irrigated by the clear streams flowing from the sacred Mt. Tsurugi. Another secret to their deliciousness may lie in the soil in which the tea trees grow. The soil in the Jiden area is ideal for cultivating mountain tea, which is grown without pesticides or fertilizers. I have tried several different awabancha but I have yet to try the sacred jidencha.
Visit with friends in Kamikatsu who we met on our kancha trip to Shishikui. We enjoyed the rice field scenary while sipping on awabancha after a hike in the forest.
Q & A on awabancha processing
What types of tea leaves are used to make awabancha?
Awabancha tea comes from the same tea bushes (camelia sinensis) that is used to make sencha and other types of Japanese green teas. Instead of harvesting during the shincha season when new buds are sprouting (generally between late March to May), tea leaves that are mature, big, and coarse, are used. Generally, the raw leaves are harvested from the wild Zairai variety (sometimes, referred to as “yama-cha” or mountain tea). Otherwise, awabancha is often made from the widespread Yabukita cultivar, a cultivar that is preferred for the larger leaf size and is easier to pick by hand.
How is it fermented? How is it different from black tea oxidation?
Awabancha tea leaves are fermented in barrels and weighed down. It sits for a certain duration of time (7 - 10 days, sometimes more) which causes anaerobic fermentation. In comparison, black tea goes through a process of oxidation (although some people refer to it as fermentation). The taste and aroma change as the tea's enzymes are oxidized. Awabancha is made using a post-fermentation method in barrels, which occurs by microorganisms. For this reason, awabancha processing is categorized in the post-fermented tea category.
Q. Specifically, how is awabancha made?
After the mature and coarse tea leaves have been harvested (usually hand-picked), the tea leaves are mixed around to prevent them from becoming steamed. They are then laid on a mat on the dirt floor and piled up for 2-3 days. Then, they are boiled in a pot (30-40 minutes) and rolled in a tea rolling machine.
The tea leaves are then placed in a large barrel to remove oxygen and then packed into the barrel. When the barrel is almost full, the tea leaves will be covered with natural material such as straw or Japanese palm. Before the lid is put on, the cooled-down juice from when the tea leaves were boiled will be poured and then sealed preventing oxygen from affecting the fermentation process. Then, the lid will be pressed down with stones and/or several large weights. After steeping for about two weeks to a month (the length of this time will influence the strength of fermentation), the tea leaves are removed from the barrel and the tea juice is drained. Lastly, the tea leaves are sun-dried thoroughly outside or in a greenhouse to complete the process. The leaves will be turned over from time to time to allow for homogeneous drying.
Below, is a video from the Awabancha Production Association which shows photos of the awabancha making process:
Just like green tea, one of the neat aspects of awabancha lies in the fact that the flavor of the tea varies due to numerous factors such as the type of wooden barrel(s) used, the time for steeping, the time for grinding the tea leaves, the use of different materials for the top covering, and terroir, which are all factors that vary depending on the tea farmer and location where the tea is made. These factors lead to very different flavors and bacteria ranging from strong sweetness to strong sourness. If you visit Kamikatsu, one can find so many different types of awabancha in their local goods store you may be surprised at the various awabanchas that are on the market even in one small village. So, it may be fun and worth it to do an awabancha tasting to compare across the different types of awabancha!
Kanchas in Tokushima Prefecture
Shishikui Kancha (宍喰寒茶; made in Kaiyocho, Shishikui)
Now that we have spotlighted awabancha, we will move on to kanchas which are specific to Tokushima Prefecture (i.e., there are kanchas that are produced in other Prefectures). Kancha, which literally translates to cold tea, is a tea that is made during the coldest time of the year. It is also a tea that I am quite fond of as I was able to pay a visit to the incredible tea farmer, Akemi Ishimoto this past February and actually witness her making the Shishikui kancha! We will not go into the details here (read more about how Shishikui kancha is processed in this article ), but nowadays this kancha is only grown and processed by 87-year old tea farmer Akemi-san in a small rural mountain village in Southern Tokushima Prefecture.
Kitou kancha (木頭寒茶) and Kizawa kancha (木沢寒茶)
In addition to the Shishikui kancha, there are a few other kanchas that are well known in Tokushima Prefecture. Kitou kancha is produced in the Kitou district of Nakacho, also in the winter time. Kitou is a village that is located in a valley at an altitude of 400 - 1000 meters. It is located at the Southern foot of Mt.Tsurugi, and due to its abundant nature, it has been called the Tibet of Shikoku. Furthermore, this village is blessed with an environment that is suited for tea with rain, morning and evening fog, and little frost. Kitou kancha is made by boiling and then drying in the sun. Note that this differs from Shishikui kancha, which follows a process first of steaming, then rolling by hand and then dried in the sun. In the Kitou region, they also make their own unique kamairicha. In fact, it is said that in the late Edo period, the kamairicha made in this region was called “Kotou-cha”, and was known as a tea that was presented to the shogunate. Lastly, another kancha, Kizawa kancha is a sun-dried bancha made from mountainous tea bushes in the Kizawa village area of Naka district in December. Similar to Kitou kancha, the Kizawa kancha is boiled in a kettle, rolled by hand, and then sun-dried.
While there seems to be three principal region-specific kanchas in Tokushima Prefecture that stand out, I would not be surprised if there were/are other types of regional kancha in Tokushima, they probably just did not get branded. In fact, many similar teas can be found. Each of these teas has its own unique manufacturing method and characteristics, reflecting the unique culture and terroir of each region.
Aioicha
Aioicha is another tea which derives its name from the region it is made.Tea production has been thriving in the Aioi district of Naka-cho, Tokushima Prefecture since ancient times. The region of Aioi is made of 90% forest land. Grown in an area surrounded by mountains at an altitude of 1,000 meters, the Aioicha (i.e., green tea) is known for its mellow taste, subtle aftertaste, refined sweetness and particularly refreshing aroma. It is the earliest harvested tea in Tokushima Prefecture. Bancha production also continues in the Aioi region, and it is made in the style of awabancha. It is specifically called Aioi-bancha however. This tea is available on Yunomi: the Aioi awa bancha.
The Aioi awa bancha is available on Yunomi.
Obokecha
Last but not least, there is also obokecha in Tokushima Prefecture. Oboke and Iya are in Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, located almost to the exact center of Shikoku (Western Tokushima Prefecture). The Yoshino River, a gorgeous river flows through a beautiful yet rugged valley, shrouded in thick mist. Similar to many of the tea producing regions we have touched on in this article, the climate in Oboke and Iya valley (which I have previously written about) are ideal for growing tea, and tea production thrives in Yamashiro town, Miyoshi City. The boke meicha (歩危銘茶), which is produced here has a somewhat nostalgic aroma and flavor, with a gentle taste that is inviting for all. While we do not have the boke meicha per se, American tea farmer Yancy Lever’s tea fields are located in the Yamashiro area where tea production thrives, just South of Oboke. So, if you would like to try green tea from this area, Yancha (Yancy’s teas) will provide you with the flavor and aroma (terroir) of this region.
Featured image: A view of Yancy Lever's tea fields from afar in Aruse village, Tokushima Prefecture.
