Joshua tastes new Taiwanese Oolongs with Walker Tea Review

Joshua sits down with tea enthusiast and reviewer Jason Walker of Walker Tea Review to taste a few of our newest Taiwanese Oolongs. See the video here: Guest Tasting: Joshua Kaiser of Rishi Tea

Brewing a Tea Renaissance

From Joshua's monthly tea article on Food Thinkers: 

Our goal is to take tea to a whole new level of appreciation. The evolution of wine and coffee in the US have inspired us and set reasonable goals for us to achieve.

Just 10 years ago, most consumers ordered wine by the type (red, white, etc.). Today, consumers are more likely to order wine based on varietal, style, vintage, and origin. Wine consumers have become very sophisticated.

 The physics of leaf, water volume, timing, and temperature 

are affected by brewing utensils

Within the last five years, consumers have begun to pay attention to the temperature at which their wine is stored and served as well as the shape and volume of the glass they savor their wine in.

Espresso and coffee also have blossomed from a simple beverage to a gourmet experience. Coffee bars are now using 2-3 times the amount of coffee grounds to make an average coffee drink. Coffee drinks have become stronger with richer body and a wider range of flavor profiles.

Single origin coffees, varietals, and complicated yet rewarding brewing methods, coupled with consumer education about coffee, have led this age-old beverage into a renaissance period.

People have come to expect more from coffee and wine, but what about tea? Can we cultivate an elevation in the understanding and appreciation of tea similar to that for wine and coffee? Yes, we can!

First, we must understand that our brewing methods and our concepts of tea are stuck in the 19th Century, when much of the tea consumed in the US was Congou black or broken leaf teas. Much of the premium tea we offer today was not even available in the US 10 years ago. Many of these teas can’t be measured with a teaspoon and have simple yet unique brewing methods that render the best flavors.

 Ms. Yumiko-san measuring the proper amount of Gyokuro for brewing in a Ho-hin.

Modern consumers have an unprecedented abundance of superb tea available to them, but rarely do they taste the full potential greatness of the leaf. People still make their tea too dilute, using a small amount of leaf in a large volume of water with teapots better suited for Victorian-era tea service. Many of the teas we appreciate today should be brewed using more leaf, controlling the infusion temperature and time to yield a strong, aromatic, rich bodied and stronger infusion.

 A Ho-hin is a traditional brewing vessel or small type of teapot used for fine green teas like Gyokuro.

It’s so important for people to understand the traditional and delicious flavors that remain locked within the potential of their tea leaves. The key is to grow the awareness and educate tea lovers about various brewing methods so they can fully enjoy the teas available to them.

Once the true taste and energy of tea is revealed through better brewing, I believe tea will enjoy a renaissance period like wine and coffee. The nuance of varietal, origin, vintage, season, and style will become apparent and appreciated only when we stop serving tea in an antiquated manner.

Sencha green tea from Japan is an example of a very popular tea that very few people brew to the tea’s full potential. This year, at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, Rishi Tea invited our friend, Mr. Tadao Yasukura-san, a 70-year-old tea master from the Obaku Kofu Ryo school of Sencha-do, to lead tea ceremonies and brewing workshops in our booth.

The Sencha-do ceremonies educated our customers about improved brewing methods and helped nurture a better understanding of the wonderful flavor and energy of Sencha green tea. The workshops were a great success, informing tea lovers about the history and tradition of Japanese green tea as well as the improved brewing methods of using more tea and shorter brewing times.

 A rich, flavorful brew of roasted Bancha expertly decanted by Mr. Yasukura-san.

It’s important that we learn about various traditional brewing methods used in the tea origin and producing countries. Each tea has a specific brewing method best suited to its leaf style. Even if we don’t use the same meticulous methods or rare ceramics as a tea master, we can taste the way tea should taste and implement our own techniques to improve the way we serve and enjoy tea.

I hope tea lovers will be inspired to adapt certain core principles from traditional tea brewing methods in order to create their own unique style.

2010 Taiwanese Oolong

High mountain tea is often called by its Chinese name, Gao Shan Cha, and is a category of special oolong teas, the best of which are from Taiwan.

 The high mountain tea garden a few hundred meters above the famous "horse saddle" garden in Shan Lin Xi is one of our favorite origins of Taiwan Oolong.

People like the complex flowery aromas and fresh character of high mountain tea. High mountain oolongs contain less catechin and more amino acids than other oolongs so they are smoother and less astringent than other types of oolong. High mountain teas are in short supply every year. The oolong market demand for the best grades of high mountain tea is greater than the supply, always.

High mountain teas are classified as teas grown higher than 1000 meters above sea level. Many of our Taiwan teas come from middle and lower elevations, as well. Many oolongs are not high-mountain grown and their characters are very sought after and yield distinctive characters that oolong tea consumers look for. For example, many of our teas are from 500-800 meters above sea level, like Jade Oolong and Tae Guan Yin. One of our best quality oolongs, Eastern Beauty, or Hsinchu Bai Hao, is grown at 300-500 meters and this tea can only be made at lower elevations, once per year.

This year we have three high mountain spring teas: one from Shan Lin Xi, one from Li Shan, and High Mountain Dong Ding made in A-Li Shan. We also have two other teas listed below from lower elevations, including our two new Qingxin oolongs: original spring orchid and light baking type.

The qingxin organic tea farm is bordered by nets and large, unpruned Hong Yue tea trees that create buffer zones to surround the tea garden and minimize windshift from non-organic agriculture.

High mountain tealeaves grow at a slower rate than the tea cultivated in the medium- and low-growing elevations, due to the cool, humid and misty conditions that shroud the tea fields and filter direct sunlight. Leaves stay tender and immature during the harvest so the leaves are rich in amino acids and theanine and have a lower content of sharp catechin. High mountain teas, or Gao Shan Cha, are priced for their strength and richness without any bitterness or astringency.  

Pheremone light traps, an organic method of pest management are used to minimize bug attacks on the tea bushes in our qingxin tea farm.

The highest mountain regions in Taiwan for Gao Shan Cha are Da Yu Lin, Li Shan, Shan Lin Xi and A-Li Shan. There are many others. Each season, we taste Gao Shan Cha from all the best farms and select a chosen few, twice a year, when the high mountain teas are harvested. Most high mountain teas are harvested during the spring and winter, although sometimes the conditions are poor and we can only get one harvest a year. Spring tea is noted for its youthful freshness and bright, rich character, and is very balanced among body, flavor, amino acid taste and feeling and aroma. Winter teas accumulate and expend energy through the year and are noted more for their distinctive and complex aromas and strong qi that experts claim the tea bush builds up all year and releases in winter before dormancy.

The weather conditions in high elevations provide low temperatures and ample humidity during harvesting and processing, so many fresh attributes are preserved in the tealeaves, such as aromatic oils, active water and amino acids. The tea bush varietals that grow in the high mountain gardens are mainly Qingxin oolong, which is the type of tea bush that is best suited to high mountain conditions. Qingxin is noted for its high amino acid content, rich taste, patience in brewing and low astringency and bitterness. The high mountain oolongs made with the Qingxin oolong varietal command the highest price in the Taiwan market.

 Electric powered, bamboo roasting baskets are used to create the distinctive nutty aroma and smooth flavor of our 4 x baking, high mountain Dong Ding.

High mountain oolong tea is best prepared with a guywan or gong fu teapot to enjoy multiple infusions. High mountain teas are also one of the best teas for Hario cold brew pots, using 4-5 tablespoons of tea per liter of cold water. Put in your fridge for 13-16 hours and drink the next day. All of our Taiwan oolong teas can be cold brewed according to this method.

2010 Taiwanese Oolongs available for purchase here. 

Qingxin Oolong Old Style Baking, Oolong Tea

Qingxin was one of the first two varietals of oolong introduced to Taiwan. Qingxin is the varietal most cultivated for "Gao Shan Cha" in the majority of the high mountain tea farms in Taiwan. When cultivated under the proper conditions, Qingxin has a very smooth yet strong character with evident amino acid flavor and a rich mouthfeel, complimented by fresh evergreen, orchid and rare floral aromas, sometimes with bright fruity accents. We chose to try organic cultivation methods with this "new" Qingshin because it’s a breed that performs well at mid-elevation and is strong against pests, and was highly recommended by a local tea-breeding expert.

To learn more, visit Qingxin Oolong Old Style Baking, Oolong Tea

2010 First Flush Darjeeling

Darjeeling teas are like no other. Many refer to Darjeeling as the "Champagne of Tea," as its character cannot be reproduced in regions outside of Darjeeling. For the past two years, Darjeeling has been devastated by drought conditions that have affected the quality and yields of the tea farmers and left all of us Darjeeling lovers a bit disappointed when we compare current teas with those of years past.

Rishi Tea has a very special relationship with the organic and Fair Trade Certified™ Makaibari tea estate in Darjeeling. For the past ten years, Makaibari and its owner, Mr. Rajah Banerjee, has produced exclusive batches of great tea for Rishi. Even when weather conditions are extremely poor, Rajah always manages to make Rishi some stunning teas that stand out as among the best in Darjeeling. Makaibari does not sell its teas at auction and chooses its few customers very strictly, so we are so thankful for Rajah, and the tea people of Makaibari for making their best quality batches available to us year after year. 

"Dear Joshua,
This year has been the second successive year of unprecedented drought for the region. The first flush virtually shriveled on the bushes, as it wilted under the scorching, unrelenting sunshine, accompanied by dry, crippling March winds. It was tortuous to go around the plantations listening to the agonizing screams of the parched tea bushes – it is a heart-wrenching exercise. The rains have arrived six weeks too late. We have had a dieback of about 5% of the plantation, and only 25% of the first flush was harvested. The entire economics of a Darjeeling tea estate depends on the lucrative first flush – losing it entails losses. This is the second year on the trot that such a devastating drought has wreaked such enormous damage on the plantation’s holistic health. Support is needed from all of our wellwishers to overcome the challenges that face us at Makaibari."
–Rajah

The owner of the estate, Rajah Banerjee with the acclaimed Makaibari forests in the background. Makaibari is one of the few estates in the world to have 2 acres of sub-tropical forest for every acre of tea. Note the enormous variety of the vegetation and the foliage of the forests. Mr. Banerjee is the 4th generation of the founding family of Makaibari, the oldest garden in Darjeeling, established in 1859.

The Darjeeling teas we buy from the Makaibari Estate are small production batches referred to as micro-lots. This year, we chose two micro-lots that have distinctive characteristics, which stand out from one another. Due to the late harvest and drought conditions in Darjeeling this year, the first flush teas are tending to have a bit more color and a less brisk character.

First Flush Darjeeling, Micro-lot DJ 3/10: Bright and lively mouthfeel with succulent flavor. This tea has a medium and elegant astringency with a long lasting after taste and complex aromatics of peaches, Muscat Grapes and tropical flowers. This lot is very refreshing and energizing.

1st Flush Micro-lot DJ 7/10: Less brisk and a bit softer than DJ 3/10 with a more focused and succulent pit fruit flavor. The aroma is less floral than DJ 3/10 but unique with its pleasant hints of roasted grain and piquant black pepper.

Cinnamon Plum & Clean Water

For the last two years Rishi Tea has partnered with the Clean Water Fund, donating 25% of the profits of our award-winning* Cinnamon Plum tea to their efforts of cleaning and restoring North America's waters. In 2008-2009 we donated $4,288.90. This year, our donation increased by 39%, totaling $5,962.48. Many thanks to everyone who supported our efforts!

 

*Cinnamon Plum won best Blended Herbal Tea at the 2009 World Tea Championship.

Learn more about our partnership with the Clean Water Fund.

Sencha-do Ceremony at World Tea Expo

Rishi Tea invites you to a very special Japanese tea ceremony, known as Sencha-do, taking place June 11^th – June 13^th at the 2010 World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. Mr. Yoshikura, a master of Sencha-do from the Obaku Kofu Ryu established in 1959, will lead the ceremonies and demonstrate the way of four green teas including Gyokuro (Secret Garden), cold-brew Sencha, hot-brew Sencha and Bancha. The sessions take place daily at 11:45am, 2pm and 3:30pm in Booth # 401 and are open to all on a first come, first served basis. 

Cha No Yu, the Japanese tea ceremony using Matcha powdered green tea is known to many, but few outside of Japan are familiar with the ceremony for loose leaf tea called Sencha-do.

Sencha-do or “the way of Sencha,” became widespread in Japan during the 19th Century. Sencha-do became a non-political and less formal means for Japanese intelligentsia to rebel against the hierarchy and politics surrounding "Cha No Yu" powdered tea ceremony of the era. Sencha-do is inspired by the reclusive ancient Chinese tea sages and intellectuals that used tea as a social and more spiritual way to enjoy loose leaf tea to get away from the daily grind and enjoy life.

As with Chinese Gong Fu Cha, there are specific brewing methods and etiquette for Sencha-do ceremony, which include unique teaware and distinct pouring methods. Sencha-do schools and tea instructors practice unique brewing techniques and tea concepts specific to Sencha, Gyokuro and other Japanese green tea.  Tea lovers and baristas can learn the brewing techniques that are unique to loose leaf Sencha and green teas by taking part in Rishi Tea’s Sencha-do Ceremony.

In addition to the scheduled Sencha-do classes, Joshua Kaiser, along with visiting tea experts, will lead focused tastings of 2010 Fresh Crop Teas from Japan, Taiwan, China, etc. These tastings will be held at various times throughout the weekend in Booth # 401. Guests are welcome to join and share with us some of this year’s most exciting new teas, fresh from origin!

Lastly, join Joshua for a presentation on the foundation and strong points of Rishi Tea and its unique organic supply chain, taking place Saturday, June 12^th at 12:30pm on the show floor of the World Tea Expo in the Vendor Presentation Theater.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Interview & Videos with Mr. Nishi-san in Kagoshima, Japan

Kagoshima First Flush officially started on April 6; the very first shincha lots were produced during the last few days of March, but those were quite plain and we did not accept them. We came to visit Mr. Nishi-san on April 13, during his first harvesting of shincha from one of his Sae Midori fields. This was his first field to flush this year. Mr. Nishi-san has many small fields in Kirishima Mountain and he cultivates 14 different varietals, which all flush at different times, so each day or so after his first Sae Midori flushed, other shincha lots came out.

April 13th, we unwrapped the Sae Midori field selected by Mr. Nishi-san for the first harvest of the year.

This year, we chose a superb lot of Yabukita Shincha, which was handpicked on April. We'll be offering many other First Flush micro-lots later in the season from Mr. Nishi-san, after the First Flush is totally completed and we can choose.

Mr. Nishi-san's gardens are located in Kirishima Mountain, which is at a much higher elevation than the rest of Kagoshima's tea fields, so his teas always flush later than other areas of Kagoshima. This year, we are very lucky because none of Mr. Nishi-san's farms were affected by frost or cold damage that harmed and even killed so many others earlier this year. During our visit, we could see that his tea fields appeared strong and healthy.

Below is an interview conducted over many days of hanging out with my friend, Mr. Nishi-san.

Mr. Nishi-san is a very serious guy and usually he is not so willing to be on camera much less interviewed by a foreigner. Seeing him smile after our first of many interviews was refreshing. Mr. Nishi-san, Rishi’s long time friend Mr. Kotaro Tanimoto-san who is the President of the Japan Tea Exporter’s Association and Joshua along one of the trails in the organic tea fields.

INTERVIEW:
Josh: Hello, I'm here in Kirishima Mountain in Southern Japan with one of the true artisan masters of sencha green tea, Mr. Nishi-san! Thanks for welcoming Rishi to visit you again! How long have you personally been working with tea?

Nishi-san: I started working with tea from a young age with my father, so you could say at least 40 years.

Josh: How long has your family been cultivating tea?

Nishi-san: I am the 2nd generation in my family working with tea.

Josh: How many family members do you have working with you and what kind of work do they do?

Nishi-san: Our major focus is tea and we produce all kinds of local organic produce like Satsuma Imo (local sweet potato), mushrooms, fruits, herbs and honey. We also grow the majority of our own food. My wife, my two sons and my daughter and other family members all work together with my staff to cultivate and process tea.

Josh: Of all the teas you produce, which tea is your personal favorite?

Nishi-san: Handpicked, First Flush Sencha, but I have no specific favorite varietal. Each year the weather presents different conditions and my favorite this year may be different next year.

Josh: I knew you were going to say that and I am glad you did, because so many tea drinkers in the US are fixed to one flavor, and year after year, they always have to get it, and many complain when the tea is a bit different. But it is my opinion that we must embrace change, and the beauty of our teas is that they reflect the changes of nature. That's what makes specialty tea a specialty and not a standard!

Josh: What percentage of your teas is handpicked, vs. machine harvested?

Nishi-san: About 2% of our teas are handpicked. The cost is about five times the cost of machine harvested, but we can only sell the handpicked tea for two times the price of our machine-harvested tea, so we only make it available in our local retail shop, give it away as gifts, or sell it to special customers like Rishi Tea.

First day of Mr. Nishi-san's First Flush harvest in Kirishima Mountain on morning of April 13th, 2010.

Josh: What makes your tea farm so unique, and why are there so few organic tea farms in Japan?

Nishi-san: We embrace the balance and harmony offered by nature, making use of what's in our environment. Not just Japan, but most of the world relies on chemically invasive, unbalanced agriculture to maximize yields and prevent or kill pests and that's where we are different. Our method is all about natural balance and we only use what we can find in our natural environment. We separate our farms in the mountain with natural buffer zones of thick forestry and bamboo stands to keep the balance of the local environment.

The qualities of the tea we cultivate are also very different. Unlike other gardens that focus on a single varietal or only Yabukita, we are cultivating many tea varietals—14 to be exact—and they all flush at different time periods and have different flavors and attributes, so as the weather and conditions change each year, we can have many options to make our teas stand out, and our customers can choose various varietals to make specific blends that can be adjusted from year to year in response to the weather situation. We have varietals with deep color and rich umami and others with specific aromas and various degrees of sharpness. We can adjust our tea blends with the season according to our method and the choices at hand and that is also quite unique from other farms I've seen. Our farms are in Kirishima Mountain, which is at a higher elevation than most other Kagoshima areas, and our teas tend to flush a bit later than the usual Kagoshima First Flush, so we don't get too much frost damage.

Nishi'san's organic philosophy of organic tea cultivation is all about balance and harmony 

Josh: I saw the unique style of composting you use and Mr. Nishi, I must say that your soil appears alive and so rich. Most organic tea farms have significant nitrogen deficiencies and look unhealthy, but your gardens look so strong. Must it be the composting methods? 

Nishi-san: You could say we assist nature to make our own organic fertilizer. We dry, bundle and age straw in covered piles, which attract bacteria, and then we mix the straw with soil from our Kirishima Mountain, crushed bamboo, and decomposing wood from our shiitake mushroom farms, and let it weather in piles for three years. During this composting time, the bacteria act to microbiologically ferment inside the compost pile and we add this special compost to our tea farm soil and it gives our gardens all the nitrogen and nutrition the tea plants need from the soil. We also don't weed and allow nitrogen-fixing herbs to grow between the rows of tea bushes, which aerates the soil, enhances the nitrogen absorption and provides the proper medium for earthworms to thrive, which are nature’s organic fertilizer producers. You saw how many worms are in my soil? Japanese tea varietals are bred for high amino acid content and low caffeine and catechin so they must obtain a great deal of nitrogen to produce amino acids. We rely only on these natural methods to enrich the soil and boost the nitrogen that our tea plants require.

Nishi Organic Compost Pile

Josh: What are they key organic methods you use for pest control?

Nishi-san: Water, wind machines called "mini-hurricanes," killer bees and spiders, but the key is the water and wind. We have so many spiders in the gardens and they love to eat the pests of the tea bushes.

Josh: They like to eat me too. I got a small bite yesterday in the Yabukita garden!

Josh: Are there any recent technological advancements in the harvesting machines or organic cultivation practices you can share with us?

Nishi-san: I think you saw all of our special harvesting machines, the kabuse applicator, the different kabuse wrapping colors we use for different conditions and our processing lines. The most recent innovation we use is the powerful wind blowers to remove pests, called small hurricanes. We are also using mist sprinklers and fans to prevent frost damages to our tea farms.

Some of Nishi-san’s tea fields are wrapped a few days before harvest to enhance the green color of the leaf and to enhance the umami flavor. The shading blocks sunlight and slows the conversion of amino acid to catechin making a sweet and smooth tea without sharpness. 

Josh: Most teas in Japan are made with Yabukita but Mr. Nishi-san is famous for growing many unique varietals in addition to Yabukita. Japanese tea varietals are so unique from other types of green tea bushes; how do you describe the general difference between Japanese varietals and other tea bush varietals?

Nishi-san: Japanese tea bush varietals are bred for making sencha green tea and they have low caffeine and catechin but much higher amino acids and theanine contents when compared to other nation's tea varietals; therefore you could say our breeds are designed to be less bitter and astringent but much more umami, sweet and smooth with vivid or fresh green color. Japanese tea bush varietals have the potential for a much more true green or rich green color that is well suited to the sencha steaming process and this comes from a balance of breeding, cultivation techniques and our unique Japanese withering and leaf steaming procedures. 

Josh: According to your own philosophy and experience, what are the virtues of steamed green teas, vs. other styles of green teas?

Nishi-san: Compared to other methods of green fixation, steaming quickly and efficiently kills enzymes in the tealeaf to prevent oxidation, and preserves the fresh green color of the leaf. The fresh green color and contents of steamed tea are quickly extracted when brewing within two brief infusions in various water temperatures. Pan-fired, roasted and other types of green teas need hotter water, longer infusion times and multiple steepings to release their contents and benefits into an infusion.

Josh: The harvest season, the tea bush varietal and the harvest region define the character of sencha, but basically, sencha is categorized by its degree of steaming. There is light steamed sencha called "asamushi," mid-steamed sencha called "chumushi," and deep-steamed called "fukamushi.” Many books and seminars on sencha claim that there is some set time for steaming, like asamushi for 30 seconds, chumushi for 60 seconds and fukamushi for 90 seconds, but is that true?

Perfect shot of Mr. Nishi’s organic planning and healthy tea bushes shows the rich soil, blooming beneficial bacteria of soil health and thriving nitrogen fixing herbs set against the back round of thick stands of evergreen trees that serve as natural buffer zones that surround and protect the organic tea farms from wind shift contamination of industrial and urban toxins. Buffer zones like these trees are so important for organic cultivation. 

Nishi-san: That sounds like a general range for First Flush Yabukita and very general. The degree, timing and pressure of the steaming depends on how course or tender the leaf material is and that depends a lot on the seasonal condition of harvest and the varietal of tea bush. We cannot say that there is a set time for asamushi, chumushi or fukamushi. It depends on the tea maker and the leaf status. It also depends on the customer's needs. Like for your tea, we make chumushi, or mid steamed, but each year we have to adjust the time based on the leaf character.

Josh: We know the varietal and season of harvest is the major influence of amino acids, catechins and caffeine contents in a tea, but does the degree of steaming also affect the level of caffeine, catechin and theanine in the tea?

Nishi-san: No, it does not. The varietal and season of harvest are the major factors that define the amino acids, catechin and caffeine in the tea. Some varietals have very high amino acids wile others maybe lower. The various tea breeds, harvest season and soil types influence such factors.

Josh: Over many years, I have studied Japanese green tea and through my travels to many tea-producing countries, I can compare processing of green tea and I have the opinion that Japanese green tea is the greenest tea. I see this is true from varietal breeding, cultivation and steaming, but most impressive to me is the controlled withering. So many countries wither their green teas in ambient conditions but you control your leaves from the time they are loaded onto the truck to the time they enter your factory's withering chamber and through the whole process, the leaves never rise above a certain temperature before and after steaming, to keep the fresh green character. Could you tell us why withering control is so important?

Nishi-san: Withering preserves vitamin C and other contents in the tea leaf. When we make our green tea, we must control the leaf temperature and moisture content. The leaves should not get too hot or reduce their moisture too fast or they will become yellow and lose their good contents, resulting in poor color, flavor and mouthfeel. Proper withering increases amino acids and theanine in the leaf and converts carbohydrates in the leaf to complex sugars. Proper withering is very influential for the flavor, mouthfeel and amino acid taste (umami) of green tea, and that is why we developed a withering condition that controls the leaf temperature and humidity. Even our trucks that transport leaf to our factory have fans that circulate fresh air so the leaves don't get too hot and begin oxidizing.

Josh: At our last company meeting, we had everyone state their favorite tea. Your First Flush Sencha was the most mentioned tea and our customers also love your tea. Thank you for always making the great sencha for us!

Josh: You are like a rock star in the organic tea trade, especially in the US, where so many appreciate your unique quality of sencha. Do you have some message for all of our friends that love your tea?

Nishi-san: Thank you for enjoying our organic teas from Kirishima Mountain. Please try our multiple varietals each year.

Hiroki Nishi, Mr. Nishi-san's son: Thank you for choosing our family's tea! We know it is important for our planet and for our customers to make teas that are ecologically and environmentally balanced and safe, using only organic methods. We will continue growing our organic teas and sharing with you. Thank you very much!

Josh: Thanks for your time and welcoming me into your home, Mr. Nishi-san, and for sharing so much great information and superb food with me! Good luck making teas this year! See you again soon.

2010 Japan Crop Report

The majority of Japan's tea is from Shizuoka. Usually, Shizuoka's 1st Flush tea auction starts on April 15 or 16. This year, the 1st Flush auction started on April 19, due to the severe frost damages of Shizuoka's tea gardens. More than 60% of Shizuoka's 1st Flush was totally killed by frost. It was a real disaster for Japan's tea industry. In 2009, 10,700 kg were sold on opening day of the auction, but this year, only dozens of 5 kg lots were for sale, totaling a mere 1,348 kg sold.

Since the volumes of 1st Flush tea during the first week or so of the auction were at about 5% of normal volumes, the prices were unusually high and most of the quality was quite low in comparison to other years. Most tea from the low and mid-elevations that survived showed signs of cold weather defects like thin, watery body, plain flavor, bitterness, low umami and amino acid taste.

Many high elevation gardens in the Shizuoka area did not get frost damage and although a bit delayed, some good teas could be found, but at quite high prices. As the season pushed on, the weather improved and some yields were made but in general, the total volume of tea from Japan is a lot lower than usual and the top quality is either very expensive, scarce and not easily available. We were so lucky to get our Supreme Shizuoka First Flush Kukicha, specially made for us from the sorted lots of Shizuoka's most premium, deep-steamed shincha.

The financial hardships felt by Japan's tea farmers and merchants could not be worse. The Japanese government issued emergency aid for Shizuoka tea farmers due to their hardship. This is proving to be one of the worst years for the Japanese tea industry, with their domestic loose leaf and bottled tea sales in steady decline for the past few years. Japan's tea traders have been looking outward for export markets to compensate for sluggish domestic sales, but this year there is simply not enough good tea at affordable prices to help the situation. Rishi's connections and long-term relationships in Japan have played a huge role in our ability to secure good teas at stable enough prices when most others are faced with significant cost increases and a lack of supply.

Due to the bad weather and severe shortages in Shizuoka, Uji/Kyoto, Fukuoka/Yame and most other tea areas in Japan, many famous tea merchants, and even some tea farmers without tealeaves to sell from their gardens traveled south to the Kagoshima and Miyazaki areas in Kyushu, where weather conditions were much more favorable.

Of all of the tea-growing regions in Japan, the Kagoshima and Miyazaki areas had the best conditions during 1st Flush. On opening day of the Kagoshima 1st Flush auction, around 100,000 kg were sold. Low and mid-elevation areas had some frost damage and delays but not the devastation found in Shizuoka. The high elevation areas in Kagoshima, like Kirishima Mountain, had great conditions and yielded some of Japan's best lots of tea this year. Our teas from the Nishi family in Kirishima Mountain stand out as some of the best lots we've tasted so far this year, including our handpicked April 20th batch of Yabukita from Mr. Nishi-san.

Nishi-san's beautiful organic tea field in Kirishina mountains.

In summary, there is very little tea available for the traditional shincha sales and prices are at very high levels. High elevation growing areas of Shizuoka will provide some pretty nice teas but they have been very much delayed beyond when people expect the shincha release. Most shincha in the market was from Kagoshima. Approximately 65% of Japan's tea crop is harvested during the 1st Flush season, and about 70% of Japan's tea usually comes from Shizuoka, but this year, 60% of Shizuoka's tea fields were killed by frost. As such, the teas from Japan's 2010 harvest will be quite different this year as other growing areas outside of Shizuoka will make up the bulk of what is blended with Shizuoka tea and what is exported from Japan.

Shizuoka tea, some would say, has defined the flavor profile and general character of sencha that many tea consumers in importing countries are familiar with. Due to cold weather and frost damage during the key harvest season, the total volume of Shizuoka and other famous sencha-producing areas for domestic sales and exports are very low compared to previous years, so to keep the flow of tea in the market, tea manufacturers had to make new blends using various origins.

The superb but lesser known teas of Kagoshima and Miyazaki will be more widespread in sencha blends this year and customers will have to keep an open mind when making their tea selections and understand that the tea this year will not taste like last year. This is a major year for change in the tea industry and Japan is but one story in a very radical Asian tea season.

Working within the parameters that nature provides and producing something that is different and unique each year is the beauty of our specialty tea industry. We have vintage years and we have years that provide challenges. This is one reason we feel our industry is rightly dubbed, "Specialty Tea." When the weather and conditions are severe, only the most flexible, specialized, well versed and connected tea merchants can provide relative stability and top quality. This year was a big test and revelation for all of us. We must learn to appreciate that tea is at the whim of "Mother Nature" and that tea is a truly dynamic, natural product that is always changing and can never stay the same.

Many fear or resent change but I say, let's embrace change and work with it. We did this in many origins this year in order to keep stable quality and relatively stable prices when quality and quantity was generally very low and prices were way up.

The cold weather conditions that affected the 1st Flush tea crops in Japan were similar in Korea and Eastern China, where cold weather killed crops, delayed harvests and provided many substandard teas. This year, the tea bushes came out of dormancy a bit early due to an unusual, yet brief warm spell in early March and then the temperature rapidly dropped to winter-like temperatures, shocking the tea bushes and in many cases killing the buds. Even through late April, the temperatures were quite cold throughout East Asia, delaying or killing much of the 1st Flush in Japan, Korea and Eastern China. Fujian and Zhejiang were hit the worst by frost from March through April.

The 2010 Shincha and total Japan 1st Flush season is a real problem for the Japanese tea trade, but with a partner like Mr. Nishi-san and our other friends in Japan, Rishi will still manage to offer great tea this year!

 Mr. Nishi-san is a very serious guy and usually he is not so willing to be on camera much less interviewed by a foreigner. Seeing him smile after our first of many interviews was refreshing.

Yours truly,
Joshua

Lessons from Theo Chocolate: chocolate & tea

Just in time for chocolate & tea loving moms, our friends at Theo Chocolate have artfully handcrafted a beautiful collection of 4 tea infused ganaches using our Organic Earl Grey, Honeydew Melon, Peach Blossom & award-winning Jasmine Pearl tea.  Below, Theo chocolatiers take us step by step in the ganache making process.

Step 1: Start with a happy and passionate Theonista and a fresh bag of organic loose leaf tea

Step 2: Steep the tea into the cream

Step 3: Strain the tea from the cream before adding to the ganache

Step 4: Stir the tea infused cream with the ganache

Step 5: Temper (a method of heating and cooling chocolate to give it a smooth and glossy finish)

 

Step 6: Temper again

Step 7: Spread the delicious tea infused ganache

Step 7: Taste the creamy, aromatic and complex flavors of the tea infused ganache

Check our Facebook page for a Mother's Day giveaway of a box of Theo's tea infused ganaches and a tin of Rishi Tea!

2010 Spring Harvest Videos from Hubei, China

We're very excited to share a few personal and educational videos from Joshua and friends in Hubei, China, filmed this April, 2010.

Welcome message from Joshua and the Xuan En Fair Trade Funded Hospital Staff


Interview with Mr. Qu who represents hundreds of families from all the villages that produce our Fair Trade organic teas from Xuan En in Hubei, China.


Joshua speaks with Mrs. Wang in Bai Hu Shan, White Tiger Mountain Village. Mrs. Wang is one of 600 members of the Xuan En Fair Trade Organic Tea Farmer's Co-op in Xuan En, Hubei, China.


Joshua drinks tea and speaks with Mr. Lee, a Xuan En organic tea farmer and Fair Trade Co-op member to discuss the recent fair trade developments in Ma'An Village, Hubei, China.

Hubei, China Spring Harvest Update from Joshua

The good news is that Western Hubei, in Central China has been blessed with great weather, ample rain at the right time and superb spring harvesting conditions. A misty and cool March with intermittent sunny spells lead into a very nice April flushing climate. This is the area that produces our Jade Cloud Green Tea and also one of my favorite Green Teas, known by its local name as "Lu Zhen" or "Green Needles".

I could say that the Green Needles from the Xuan En Fair Trade Organic Cooperative in Southwest Hubei are some of the best and most reasonable priced teas I've tasted from all of China's 2010 spring teas this year.

Harvesting of Green Needles started on March 20th and those teas were superb but priced for the gods.

Green Needles really started to show off their character from March 22nd and we've been enjoying them everyday during our travels.

The best quality micro-lots were sent by me to Rishi after the Qingming production in early April. They will be available exclusively on our website very soon and the first batches will be the March super-lots selected by me from the Mingqian harvest season.

Lu Zhen is the most famous type of tea from Xuan En, Hubei and has been the most favored over the last 200-300 years.

Xuan En has an ancient tea producing history of more than 1300 years. The modern types of Lu Zhen evolved from Xuan En's antique style of "Yu Lu" (Jade Dew). Yu Lu are the same Chinese characters the Japanese use to name their most precious tea, "GyoKuro (Jade Dew)."

The Xuan En area's green tea processing method is linked to the old hand crafted methods of making green tea that the Japanese learned from there travels in that area before the formal invention of Japanese Sencha in the mid-late 18th Century.

Before modern Sencha, there was Temomicha Sencha which was made by hand and rubbed and rolled until dry on heated tables called Hoiro in Japanese. Lu Zhen is still made on heated tables and will remind one of the Japanese Temomicha. Lu Zhen processing is one of the early influences of Sencha but has a radically different character that unique from all other types of green tea.

Lu Zhen is rarely exported outside of China and there are two styles, the steamed type and the roasted type. We are happy to introduce both styles of Lu Zhen this year and we feel this year, with all the weather problems in China that Lu Zhen will prove to be one of the best green teas from China's 2010 spring harvest. Please enjoy. The tea will be available by the end of the 3rd week of April.

Yours truly,

Joshua

Joshua and friends at 1000 meters above sea level in one of Ma'An Village's tea farms in Xuan En during the harvest of our Lu Zhen Green Needles.

Ms. Qu Ping shows off the picking standard of 1st flush Lu Zhen Green Needles in Xuan En's Ma'An village.

 One leaf and a bud must be picked from late March through the first week and a half of April to make the top quality Lu Zhen Green Needles.

Our friends were proudly wearing their traditional Tujia clothes to honor the introduction of Green Needles to Rishi Tea.

Dwellephant Mail!

Our wonderful & talented friend Dwellephant sent us a beautiful, hand-drawn piece of mail! If only all mail could be this great.

Want to send us good old fashioned snail mail? Mail something nice to Rishi Tea, Attn: Mailorder, 427 E. Stewart Street, Milwaukee, WI 53207. We just might send you something in return.

Sencha Sakura in our cups warms our hearts

The skies outside are grey, the weather is chilly but the Sencha Sakura in our cups makes our hearts warm and tells us spring is here. Winters in Milwaukee can drag on and put a damper on the spirit. But the arrival of spring marks the awakening of the dormant state both we and nature experience.

Here in Milwaukee, our flowers appear later than they do in Japan, so at Rishi Tea we mark this joyous occasion with the launch of our beloved Sencha Sakura. Fukamushi sencha offers a deep rich infusion of Japanese tea filled with L-Theanine, our aid in increasing those dormant alpha brain waves. This tea is unique as it undergoes so much more than the addition of flavors or oils. This tea is scented with real cherry flowers and cured leaves of cherry trees. The flavor that the blossoms and leaves impart are what help transcend you to the experience of sitting under a cherry tree inhaling its wonderful aroma and essence of spring.

Sencha Sakura: warming to the heart, soothing to the soul and delicious on the palate.