A single cultivar, single estate ultra micro batch (sub 10kg) carefully picked by the Kaneta Ota Tea Garden and processed into light steamed sencha or asamushicha. Cultivar: Saemidori.

Growing tea on the steep hills of the Tenryu region in Western Shizuoka for over 50 years, tea farmer Ota Masataka is a master farmer and tea craftsman, producing award winning teas sought after by tea connoisseurs throughout Japan.

Steeping Recommendation - Warm Water Steeping

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Kaneta Ota Tea Garden

Included among the 130+ awards that Ota Masataka, the tea garden master, has won over the years, are the Emperor's Cup awarded as a special honor to the country's top farmers, and the top National Tea Competition Minister's Award...3 years straight from 2017 - 2019 in the 4kg Sencha category.

A single cultivar, single estate ultra micro batch (sub 10kg) carefully picked by the Kaneta Ota Tea Garden and processed into light steamed sencha or asamushicha. Cultivar: Saemidori.

Steeping Recommendation - Warm Water Steeping

Product Info

Kaneta Ota Tea Garden

A single cultivar, single estate micro batch carefully picked by the Kaneta Ota Tea Garden and processed into light steamed sencha or asamushicha. Cultivar: Yume Suruga.

Steeping Recommendation - Warm Water Steeping

Product Info

Kaneta Ota Tea Garden

A single cultivar, single estate micro batch carefully picked by the Kaneta Ota Tea Garden and processed into light steamed sencha or asamushicha. Cultivar: Yume Suruga.

Steeping Recommendation - Warm Water Steeping

Product Info

Kaneta Ota Tea Garden

Handpicked from the fields of the mountain village of Ashikubo in Shizuoka by the farmers of the Ashikubo Teaworks cooperative, this tea was lightly steamed to preserve its beautiful shape, and rolled into fine needles. Strong umami flavor with light notes of astringency.

The tea name, Mine no Kaori 峰の香, means “aroma of the peaks” and emphasizes the high elevation locale of Ashikubo.

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Recommended Steeping

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About Ashikubo Teaworks

特徴旨みが強い・希少価値のあるお茶・お茶本来の味が楽しめる。

最適抽出温度 50度
旨み ★★★★★
渋み ★★
新鮮香 ★★★★★

The tea name, Mine no Kaori 峰の香, means “aroma of the peaks” and emphasizes the high elevation locale of Ashikubo.

Flavor profile

Recommended Steeping

Product info

About Ashikubo Teaworks

特徴旨みが強い・希少価値のあるお茶・お茶本来の味が楽しめる。

最適抽出温度 50度
旨み ★★★★★
渋み ★★
新鮮香 ★★★★★

The set includes 16 different tea bags with tea of 4 different steaming levels vs 4 different green roasting levels.

Green roasting is a post-production refinement heating process that reduces the moisture in dry, unrefined leaf from 5-6% to 1-2%. Stronger roasts create a toastier flavor.

Steaming the leaves is the first step in the processing of Japanese green tea and can range from 20 seconds to 90 seconds (the degree of steaming also affected by the size of the leaf as well). The lighter that a leaf is steamed, the more it retains its shape producing a translucent, yellowish tea that is light and delicate. A longer steaming breaks up the leaf more, producing a sweeter, stronger bodied, opaque green tea.

Taste the range of flavors from this amazing set, and study how the leaf is affected by these two key production steps.

Steeping

The creators of the set provides a chart with English indicating the steaming levels vs green roasting levels on the top and right sides. On the left side it indicates steeping temperature and on the bottom it indicates steeping time.

Our recommendation however is to use the exact same steeping parameters on all teas: 70C/160F degrees, for 90 seconds, 200 ml of water.

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About Kadode Ooigawa

In November 2020, a new tea-themed amusement park opened in conjunction with the launch of a new train station on the Ooigawa Train Line in Shimada, Shizuoka. The facility, owned by Shimada City, was created in conjunction with local businesses including several tea producers (farming coops and factories) who came together to create the Mandara Green Tea set.

The set includes 16 different tea bags with tea of 4 different steaming levels vs 4 different green roasting levels.

Green roasting is a post-production refinement heating process that reduces the moisture in dry, unrefined leaf from 5-6% to 1-2%. Stronger roasts create a toastier flavor.

Taste the range of flavors from this amazing set, and study how the leaf is affected by these two key production steps.

Steeping

Our recommendation however is to use the exact same steeping parameters on all teas: 70C/160F degrees, for 90 seconds, 200 ml of water.

Product Info
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About Kadode Ooigawa

Komatsu Naomi of Kanes Tea Factory always has the best tea in mind for the Japanese tea connoisseurs of Yunomi.life.

This yabukita cultivar tea leaf was shaded for 5 days before harvest beneath traditional straw shading (the kind used in heritage grade gyokuro and matcha). This creates the exquisitely balanced sweetness.

It was handpicked with the 30 pluckers directed to choose only the bud and first leaf for the most delicate needle. Only 3kg were harvested of which we have 1kg.

Then, light steamed (asamushi), the leaf remains intact, allowing a very careful crafting of the leaves into perfect needles, resulting in a translucent golden liquor.

Finally, the finishing of the tea is done by hand, filtering out tea fannings and stems, the slowly green-roasted on a tradition Japanese washi paper table for about 8 min (heated to 77C, with the leaf heating to about 45C). The table itself was heated with bamboo charcoal (binchotan) with the heat adjusted by adding ash created from straw.

To prevent the needles from breaking in transit to you, the tea is packaged in mini matte black cans. Note: limit of 50g per customer.

Steeping notes

The 2nd steeping may use hotter water, steeping for 10-15 seconds. I prefer 70C/158F and 200 ml of water. Subsequent steepings may require more time - generally 60 seconds. A final steeping can be of cold water, 500 ml, and left in the refrigerator overnight for a light, refreshing iced tea the next morning.

Alternatively, steep it under ice, allowing the ice to steep the tea leaf as it melts.

Product Info

Komatsu Naomi of Kanes Tea Factory always has the best tea in mind for the Japanese tea connoisseurs of Yunomi.life.

It was handpicked with the 30 pluckers directed to choose only the bud and first leaf for the most delicate needle. Only 3kg were harvested of which we have 1kg.

Then, light steamed (asamushi), the leaf remains intact, allowing a very careful crafting of the leaves into perfect needles, resulting in a translucent golden liquor.

To prevent the needles from breaking in transit to you, the tea is packaged in mini matte black cans. Note: limit of 50g per customer.

Steeping notes

Alternatively, steep it under ice, allowing the ice to steep the tea leaf as it melts.

Product Info

Asamushicha

(45 products)

浅蒸し茶 (Asamushicha), light-steamed tea, usually referring to sencha. In general, the highest quality teas are light-steamed, i.e. for about 30 seconds. This preserves the shape of the leaf. Chuumushi or Fukamushi (mid or deep steamed), breaks down the leaves making it easier to draw out more flavor so is used for leaves that are not as infused with the goodness that is tea.