
Japan is the 7th global producer of tea and only grows green tea.
Tea is harvested between 3 and 4 times in Japan, the first picking that takes place between the end of March to mid May, is the most prestigious (it is the case of Darjeeling, for example).
Japanese teas stand out because of their surprising astringent characteristics. Natural teas reveal fresh salty flavours of iodised seaweed mixed with vegetal notes. The taste of Japanese green tea is very special but people adapt to it very quickly: it is difficult to forget once tasted !
Sencha represents 70% of the national production. This type of tea offers a large palette in terms of quality. From excellent plantations situated on the slopes of Mount Fuji. Bencha is a lower quality Sencha offering a lot of character. It is not loaded with theine, making this tea an ideal evening drink. Japan offers the highest quality green teas such as Gyokuru often called the champagne of teas, it represents 1% of production. Matcha is a green tea powder (made from the leaf part only, without the leaf veins and stems). It is used in the famous tea ceremony and also in cooking.
There are also other types of tea such as: Hojicha, Kokeicha, Tamryokucha or Genmaicha (a typical Japanese tea blending Bencha with grilled rice or popcorn).
Discover our large range of natural or flavoured Japanese teas on Maxicoffee.com!