Anniversary tea *Goldrush* - Kabuse Sencha with Matcha and Gold

It is now 25 years since the first tea under the KEIKO brand went on sale.

To celebrate this milestone, we have created a very special tea that reflects the distinctive features of KEIKO teas and yet remains something very special.

KEIKO *Goldrush* is a symphony of different components - an intensely steamed Kabusecha from the very first early harvest, a fine Matcha powder and a touch of real gold dust.

You all know the typical grassy and green aroma of KEIKO teas, but did you know that Shimodozono in Kagoshima has made a name for itself primarily with so-called "Tsuyobi" tea?

This stronger-fired green tea enjoys great popularity there, but has so far only been represented in this country in a lighter form in Kabuse Dan.

We have combined the speciality of intensively fired tea with tea dried in the classical way. The result, as always in close cooperation with our partner in Japan, is a full-bodied, velvety taste with the delicate sweetness of the leaf tips picked early in April.

As the icing on the cake, we have added fine matcha powder and a touch of real gold dust to the result of this special composition, which brings out the bright green cup colour even more with its reflections and make the first two infusions in particular a feast for the senses!

The KEIKO Anniversary Tea is a special edition and therefore only available while stocks last.

Cultivation and processing

Kabusecha is a Japanese green tea, for the production of which the tea plants ripen under special nets in partial shade, whereby it develops a higher content of chlorophyll, theanine and other active substances. Its characteristic, fresh-green "shade aroma" is called "ooika".

Like many KEIKO teas, this tea is a Fukamushi-cha. Due to this optimised form of steaming, the leaf pores open wider and the extracts pass more easily and quickly from the tea leaf into the water. This is recognisable by the deep green colour of the tea in the cup and the yield of the tea - top qualities are therefore particularly productive with up to 4 infusions.

Tsuyo-bi is the name given to the intensive firing of the teas, which has become the trademark of Shimodozono teas on the Japanese market. The drying of the teas is intensified to achieve a particularly full-bodied and warm aroma.

By the way: the design is also a small homage to our partners and is based on the design of the most popular Shimodozono teas in Japan. The calligraphy on it stands for "KEIKO" (large, in the middle) and "Shimodozono" (smaller, top right).

Preparation

We recommend an infusion temperature of 60-65°C. Infuse the first infusion for about 50 seconds. For the subsequent infusions, a few seconds are enough to draw out the aroma of the leaves. For the last infusion, you can increase the infusion time slightly to dissolve as much of the remaining extracts as possible.

Due to the matcha content, the first infusion in particular is very intense. If you find this too strong, you can slightly adjust the flavour intensity by adding a little more water.

Intensely steamed early picks are particularly well suited for a cold infusion (Mizudashi). Even with cold water, the "Gold Rush" develops a particularly silky texture and a refreshing clarity after just a few minutes of infusion. The sweet theanine notes also come out particularly well this way, as the bitter substances do not dissolve as strongly in cold water.

Storage

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.

A small side note

Unfortunately, real gold powder is not provided for as an ingredient in the organic regulations, so products with gold cannot be labelled with the organic seal. Therefore, our jubilee tea unfortunately cannot carry the organic seal due to its goldiness, even though the tea leaves and matcha powder come 100% from our organic tea gardens.

Nevertheless, we decided to go for the gold, after all, we don't have an anniversary every year!