Tea tasting: Yamacha Banbaracha

I was planning on opening a wakoucha or Japanese black tea, but this one caught my eye when I was rummaging through my tea stash. I've actually forgotten that I had bought it last year. I had the early impression that it was a bancha, but at a closer look now, it's actually kamairicha (pan-fired …

Tea tasting: Hatsumomiji cultivar (Meikyoen)

Shuubun (Autumn Equinox) was just a few days ago, and what better time than now to drink a tea with the lovely cultivar name of Hatsumomiji (first autumn colours)? This is a rare black tea produced in Sakawa, Kochi prefecture. But before I go into the details of what I've found out about the farm, …

Tea tasting: Shincha 2021 – Shimanto Aracha

The Shimanto River is the longest river in Shikoku, located in western Kōchi. It's undammed and totally pristine. It's also in my bucket list of places to visit, as I did not manage to go that far west of the prefecture during my 2016 trip to Shikoku. Two weeks were really not enough to explore …

Tea tasting: Ishizuchi Kurocha

I am sooo happy to have received this tea as a birthday gift from friends in Kyoto! Some friends know how I had really wanted to get my hands on Ishizuchi Kurocha ever since my trip to Shikoku in 2016. I have also expressed my disappointment for not being able to find any, due to …

Tea tasting: Kazurabashi-cha

I have very little information besides what I have already known about this tea, which I had bought at the Oboke roadside station in Tokushima. Kazurabashi-cha is the brand of tea produced in Aruse, a mountainous area located in southwestern Tokushima, close to the border with Kochi prefecture. Tea has been cultivated here for many …

Tea tasting: Tosa Aburicha

I have to admit. I am not a big fan of houjicha, and it is exactly what this tea from Kochi prefecture is. I bought it because its packaging stood out in a row of packaged teas at the souvenir store in Kochi train station. Talk about effective marketing through packaging? Haha. Tosa Aburicha (土佐炙り茶) is …

Experience: Making wasanbon sweets

When I was in Takamatsu, Kagawa, I had the opportunity to go for a hands-on workshop in making wasanbon sweets. This is a type of higashi (Japanese dry confectionery) that is made of high quality fine sugar and shaped in wooden molds, usually depicting traditional seasonal themes. Wasanbon is produced only in the two Shikoku …

Tea tasting: Tenkuu no Yamacha

天空ノ山茶, literally "heavenly mountain tea", is really heavenly. It is produced in the deep mountains of western Tokushima, specifically Yamashiro village near Oboke. I bought it at the Oboke Roadside Station, popular for its great view of the mighty Yoshino River and the Oboke Gorge. The tea is grown on steep slopes that are well-drained, …

Tea tasting: Imaya’s Takase sencha

I decided to start on this Takase Sencha that I bought at Imaya Seikouen in Kan-onji, Kagawa. The shop sells teas by displaying in a refrigerator, so I am kind of worried of the condition of the tea. Unfounded fear, maybe, but I thought it would be better to consume it first. The label says it …

Tea place: Imaya Seikouen

Kagawa prefecture's tea production is centred around Takase, a district located in Mitoyo City. Its green tea is known to be fragrant and sweet. However, I did not quite make it to Takase as originally intended, due to unforeseen circumstances. It would have been great to visit the tea fields there. I did not want …

Tea tasting: Awabancha (Take 2)

It somewhat disturbed me that my first brew of Kamikatsu Awabancha at home did not taste like what I had been served at a teahouse in Tokushima City. I suspect it has something to do with the tea leaves that come in teabags instead of loose like how they are sold normally in bulky packets of 100g or more. And …

Tea tasting: Goishicha

Shikoku is really home to many unique teas, especially dark or post-fermented teas. The mountains in Kochi prefecture are known to be tea-producing areas, with the Niyodogawa region being particularly well-known for Tosa tea production. However, it is only in one specific town where a rare dark tea is produced. Just over half an hour from Kochi …