Product information "Aracha Shincha 2024 - Organic Japanese Green Tea"
Aracha Shincha brings the uniquely green,
fresh
Ooika flavour of the
Aracha raw tea to Europe.
With its wild,
intensely green and grassy scent of freshly harvested tea fields,
it conjures up the tea spring directly in our cups and is the closest to the original flavour of the tea plant.
Special Features
Shincha (the
‘new tea’
)
is made from the first tender leaves of spring
-
a vintage tea from the first early plucking in April,
which surprises with its fresh flavour every year.
Aracha is a partially processed green tea,
which is reflected in its original,
natural flavour.
When tasting the raw teas directly after harvesting,
they are brewed in particularly high doses and hot in order to savour the special characteristics of the tea.
The higher infusion temperature
(around 70°C)
also brings out the flavour of this tea particularly well
-
let yourself be whisked away to the tea gardens of
Kagoshima with the intense grassy aroma of freshly steamed tea leaves!
This year's
Aracha is again composed of three cultivars,
which are perfectly matched with their different flavours and aromas
-
grassy with a lively spiciness.
Like many KEIKO teas,
this tea is an intensively steamed tea
(
Fukamushi-
cha,
100
-
120 seconds steaming time)
.
The gentle steaming opens the leaf pores and the extracts are released from the tea leaf into the water more easily and quickly.
This can be recognised by the deep green tea colour in the cup and the yield of the tea.
Early harvests such as
Aracha Shincha also have a particularly high theanine content,
which is noticeable in the sweet flavour.
Aracha is not yet
‘sorted’
as a raw tea
-
it therefore still contains some larger leaves as well as very fine bits of the leaves.
Preparation
To emphasise the fresh fragrance,
the infusion temperature can be set a little higher at 65-75°C.
.
Intensely steamed early harvests are particularly suitable for cold infusions
(
mizudashi)
.
Even with cold water,
Shincha Classic develops a particularly silky texture and a refreshing clarity after just a few minutes of infusion.
The sweet theanine notes also come into their own particularly well,
as the bitter substances do not dissolve as much in cold water.
Storage
Please note that
Shincha Aracha is a raw tea and less dried than all other KEIKO teas.
Aracha should therefore be enjoyed fresh and not stored for too long
-
we have set the best before date for this tea at 6 months from production here in Diepholz;
we store it frozen!
We therefore recommend closing the bag tightly and storing it in a cool,
dark place in the fridge or freezer to preserve the tea's valuable flavours and ingredients as much as possible.