Aracha Shincha 2023 - Organic Japanese Green Tea

<h2>Shincha 2023 - Spring in the cup!</h2> Shincha - the "new tea" heralds the beginning of the tea year every spring. The first tea from the fine, particularly aromatic leaf tips, which are harvested in the subtropical climate of Kagoshima already in mid-April. This year, however, it was particularly exciting: a late frost at the beginning of April severely affected some of the plants of the early cultivars, including Yume Kaori, so that the harvest quantity here was significantly reduced. Until the first tasting, we were unsure how much this would show in the taste. Fortunately, a total of 14 tea cultivars grow on the KEIKO organic farm, and our colleagues on site have done a masterful job in determining the right harvest time, choosing the steaming intensity and the degree of drying, and not least in blending the teas. For example, the cultivar Yume Kaori, which was severely decimated by frost, was paired for the first time this year by the award-winning cultivar Sae Midori for the Shincha Yume, and the whole thing was steamed a little more than last time. <h3>Aroma:</h3> Shincha Yume 2023 exudes the typical dreamlike and unmistakable aroma of the cultivar Yume Kaori (="Dream Aroma") as soon as the bag is opened. Due to the addition of Sae Midori (="clear green") and the strong steaming, it also has an even higher extract content and a correspondingly more intense, deep green cup colour than last year. On the tongue, its velvety texture develops into a fruity-sweet pleasure with hints of white truffle that lingers in the mouth for a long time. In order to capture the fresh aroma as best as possible, Shincha is dried slightly lighter in the final processing step than is usually the case with Sencha. This year, this is particularly evident in the Shincha Yume with its fresh aracha notes. <h3>Cultivars:</h3> 70% Yume Kaori from the KEIKO Biofarm in Kawanabe (Chiran) 30% Sae Midori from the Komaki brothers (Chiran) <b>Kabusecha</b> is green tea, for the production of which the tea plants are shaded for a period of 7-10 days before harvesting, as a result of which they develop a high content of chlorophyll and other active substances and at the same time few bitter substances. Their characteristic "shade aroma" is called "ooika". Early pickckings such as Shincha Yume also have a particularly high theanine content, which is noticeable in the sweet taste. <h3>Preparation</h3> We recommend an infusion temperature of about 60°C for a particularly round, flowery aroma. Should the tea be stronger than desired, the flavour intensity can be slightly adjusted by adding a little more water. Let the first infusion steep for about 1 minute. Afterwards, a few seconds are enough to elicit the aroma from the leaves. For the last infusion, you can increase the infusion time again to bring out the full flavour. The tea is also suitable for a cold brew. For this, steep the tea with cold water for at least 5 minutes. The sweet theanine notes come into their own particularly well, as the bitter substances do not dissolve as strongly in cold water. <h3>Storage</h3> To best preserve the valuable flavours and ingredients of the tea, please seal the bag tightly and store in a cool, dark place in the fridge or freezer.

<h3>Shincha 2023 - Spring in the cup!</h2> Shincha - the "new tea" heralds the beginning of the tea year every spring. The first tea from the fine, particularly aromatic leaf tips, which are harvested in the subtropical climate of Kagoshima already in mid-April. This year, however, it was particularly exciting: a late frost at the beginning of April severely impacted some plants of the early cultivars, so that the harvest quantity was significantly reduced in these cases. Until the first tasting, we were unsure how much this would show in the taste. Fortunately, a total of 14 tea cultivars grow at KEIKO Organic Farm, and our colleagues on site did a masterful job of determining the right harvest time, choosing the steaming intensity and drying degree, and last but not least, blending the teas. <h3>Flavour:</h3> The composition of Shincha Classic has also been re-determined. Included now also here, in addition to the cultivar Yutaka Midori, is a share of the cultivar Sae Midori. The combination results in a full-bodied, smooth aroma with fine umami. <h3>Cultivars:</h3> 70% Yutaka Midori from KEIKO Organic Farm in Kawanabe and from Komaki brothers, both Chiran. 30% Sae Midori from Komaki brothers, Chiran. Specifics</h3> In order to capture the fresh aroma in the best possible way, Shincha is dried slightly lighter in the final processing step than is usually the case with Sencha. <br><b>Kabusecha</b> is green tea, for the production of which the tea plants are shaded for a period of 7-10 days before harvesting, as a result of which they develop a high content of chlorophyll and other active substances and at the same time few bitter substances. Their characteristic "shade aroma" is called "ooika". Early pickings such as Shincha Classic also have a particularly high theanine content, which is noticeable in the sweet taste. <h3>Preparation</h3> We recommend an infusion temperature of about 60-65°C. Let the first infusion steep for about 1 minute. Afterwards, a few seconds are enough to elicit the aroma from the leaves. For the last infusion, you can increase the infusion time a little to bring out the full flavour. Should the tea turn out stronger than desired, you can simply adjust the flavour intensity by adding a little more water. Intensely steamed early pickings are particularly well suited for cold infusions. Even with cold water, Shincha Yume develops a particularly silky texture and refreshing clarity after about 5 minutes of infusion. The sweet theanine notes also come out particularly well, as the bitter substances do not dissolve as strongly in cold water. <h3>Storage</h3> To best preserve the valuable flavours and ingredients of the tea, please seal the bag tightly and store in a cool, dark place in the fridge or freezer.