Kamairicha Bancha (釜炒り茶・番茶), Uenohara Seichaen
This Kamairicha (pan-fired green tea) is blend of two lesser known cultivars: Kanayamidori and Okuyutaka, as well as Japan’s champion: Yabukita.
This tea is unique in multiple aspects: kamairicha is extremely rare in Nagasaki, almost no-one harvests sanbancha (summer harvest) and this tea’s producer, Uenohara Kouji, has developed his own natural cultivation style without any fertiliser at all added to any of his fields.
This tea is gentle yet gives a juicy mouthfeel.
The aroma of the leaves flaunts a surprising complexity for a summer harvest tea: from dried nettles, butterscotch and white chocolate notes on the dry leaf, to more strongly vegetal notes on the wet leaf of artichoke, kale and black olives.
In the flavour we again find the characteristic artichoke notes, but paired with creamy notes of buttery mashed potatoes, cannellini and edamame beans.
Hotter brews may bring out more bright notes like green apple skin, and highlight some minerality.
Brewing at lower temperature (70-80ºC) brings out some sweeter notes like marzipan and blackberry crumble.
Compared to the spring harvest Zairai Kamairicha from the same producer, this summer Bancha Kamairicha has a brighter, juicy character though still is a very easy to brew tea with a gentle character.
An unexpected summertime gem that we are delighted to offer!
Brewing suggestion:
5 gr / 150 ml / 80ºC / 1 min
The tea is cultivated by Uenohara Kouji at approximately 350 meters altitude, along the upper slopes of Mt Niradake in Saza, Nagasaki.
Uenohara farms in an organic way (uncertified). In Japanese he describes his cultivation style as ‘Shizensaibai’ (‘natural cultivation’). He added organic fertiliser for many years, but since 2019 he has changed practices to not adding any extra fertiliser at all.
We must say that his tea fields in summer are candidates for the best-smelling tea fields we have ever visited due to all the natural herbs and plants bordering each tea field!
