Oba Shingo’s Haruto Aracha Tamaryokucha has a fresh and bright character.
Aracha (荒茶, unrefined tea) is tea that has not gone through the finishing steps of shiage (仕上げ, refinement). Shiageincludes sorting, blending and the final step is called hiire (火入れ). Hiire is the term used for a light firing (not roasting!) of the tea that brings down the moisture content for longer term storage but also brings out the aroma and taste of the tea. Read more about aracha here.
As Oba’s Aracha has not gone through this final step of firing, it has a vibrant and fresh taste.
Taste
In the glossy green dry leaves, we smell a fascinating mix of fennel, carrot leaves, toasted salty seaweed, some sweet notes of baked treats (like a madeleine). The wet leaves have a more herbal & vegetal note, like boiled young potatoes with herb butter, or cut grass with wildflowers.
For the taste, we find the first sip – when brewed at low temperature (〜60ºC, 1 minute brew) – gives a thick, umami note that quickly transforms into a more bright, vibrant note. The first brew is quite playful with the deeper umami notes changing into the fresh, aromatic high notes. Later brews at higher brewing temperature tame the playfulness and reveal a more balanced character.
In the taste, we feel there’s a clear fresh note of fennel, boiled sweet carrots; the umami is more like a clear vegetable soup (not so much the strong chicken broth character that some rich umami teas have). Across different brews we taste nettle, pea shoots, baby corn, and a light salty note, which combined with the umami and vegetal notes reminds us of a salty & oily dried seaweed.
A cold brew of the tea highlights the fresh notes, but was surprisingly soft and almost creamy in its character. There’s a herbal sweetness, still that distinct note of fennel, perhaps a cold creamy cucumber soup. In the aftertaste we feel there’s a strong resemblance to a high quality virgin olive oil – showing both the depth in taste as well as that vibrant fresh note.
Haruto 34 cultivar
This tea is a single cultivar tea, from a lesser known cultivar called Haruto 34. It was developed by the Miyazaki prefecture agricultural research centre. In 1997 they crossed Saemidori and Sakimidori cultivars, and about 20 years later the successful result was officially registered as Haruto 34 cultivar.
Oba Shingo
Fourth-generation farmer Oba Shingo is an innovator, aiming for sustainable and enjoyable agriculture. Guided by a philosophy of working in harmony with nature, he continually experiments with new cultivation methods and agricultural projects, believing that innovation is essential for preserving farming for future generations.
Oba himself tells me: “most farmers focus on fertilisers, but I focus on photosynthesis in my farming. Focusing on photosynthesis has dramatically improved the quality of my crops”.
