Japanese Tea

Japanese tea: aromatic green teas

Japan produces almost exclusively green teas. Unlike Chinese green teas, Japanese teas have the particularity of being steamed. Japanese tea is steamed and the tea leaf does not undergo any fermentation, it is simply dried. This age-old method gives Japanese tea unique aromas. The leaves of Camelia Sinensis are harvested 4 times a year, but the best Japanese teas come from the harvest that takes place between the end of March and mid-May. They are divided into 9 main types: Ryokucha, Sencha, Gyokuro, Matcha, Bancha, Houjicha, Genmaicha, Kugicha, Konbucha. They are characterized by a slightly bitter taste and a complex aromatic palette dominated by vegetal notes. You will also find some green teas flavored with jasmine, ginger or with delicate cherry blossoms.

High quality Japanese tea

Our selection of Japanese teas will allow you to appreciate the delicate flavor of these high quality green teas. Sencha for example is a very mild Japanese green tea. It is the result of a long and rigorous manufacturing process that gives it a very fine taste. It is characterized by its needle-like shape due to the successive drying of the leaves. Kneading the leaves before drying allows us to obtain a tea that brews quickly while having a very low bitterness. Our Japanese genmaicha tea is a subtle blend of sencha tea and puffed rice grains that give the tea a delicate roasted hazelnut flavor. This Japanese tea has a particularly low theine content which allows it to be consumed at any time of the day.

Tea culture in Japan

In the land of the rising sun, tea is an integral part of the culture. It was introduced in the 8th century by Japanese monks who were the first to plant the Camelia Sinensis on the archipelago. Immediately adopted by mimicry with China, tea enters naturally in the life of the Japanese, going until merging with the Japanese culture of which it is henceforth indissociable. The tea ceremony is a traditional Japanese art based on the preparation of Matcha tea. From the gestures to the accessories, the preparation of Japanese tea is codified in its smallest details. For the Japanese, it is more of a welcoming ritual than a ceremony in the sacred sense.

Japanese matcha tea or Japanese roasted tea

Matcha is first of all famous for its numerous benefits. This jade-colored tea powder is highly dosed in theine which gives it a stimulating effect quite similar to coffee. It is also rich in catechins and chlorophyll which give it detoxifying and antioxidant virtues. Japanese tea powder is traditionally used for the tea ceremony. It is prepared in a traditional bowl called Raku, using a large bamboo whisk, the Chasen. It is the whisk that makes the matcha tea foam when mixing it with boiling water.