Organic Japantea

For some green tea is just a drink. For the Japanese it's everything; to be enjoyed at any time on any occasion. And it is, of course, the key to the traditional tea drinking ceremony, carried out today exactly as it was hundreds of years ago.

No wonder that some of the world's best green teas come from Japan.

As Nippon's tea producers live almost exclusively on domestic demand, only relatively small amounts leave the island state. That is why we consider green tea as very special.

The most exquisite organic teas flourish on Kyushu Island which is off the south coast. The best growing conditions are around Kirishima with its fertile volcanic earth and recurrent fog creating optimal temperature and humidity.

The most famed sorts are Gyokuro and Sencha. Matcha is well-known because of its use in the tea ceremony.

Tencha, Gyokuro and Kabusecha are, as a rule, only picked once a year. Special conditions known as 'shading' are involved. The bushes are covered four weeks before harvesting time. The plants now develop extra chlorophyll due to reduced light. This produces dark green leaves giving the tea a radiant green colour, as well as amino acids creating its subtle sweet taste.