September 2024 Newsletter

Online Tea Tasting (Daiki T.)

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a time when the number of Tea Farm Tour and Tasting guests from abroad dropped to zero. It was during this time that we started the Online Tea Tasting program. We send five different types of sencha, categorized by tea variety and shading period, to each participant's home, and conduct a tasting session together via Zoom.

Of course, the program does not just cover how to brew tea, but also provides as much knowledge as possible about how tea is made, the characteristics of Wazuka tea, and other related information using images and videos. In 2020, a study program provider for American school teachers noticed us, and since then, we have been conducting sessions for groups of nine participants, up to ten times a year at the busiest.

Participants can join from their homes. About two weeks before the event, we will send the tea featured in the virtual tasting to customers’ doors. Thus, they can brew the tea during the session and experience the different notes each of the tea has offered. We want to give holistic experience of enjoying the tea we produce, even though we are miles away,

Since we want to give personal experience, the number of participants is limited. We are so grateful that each session has always been fully booked. During the session, we got plenty of questions, making each session very lively and enjoyable. What makes me the happiest is when participants from these tea tastings later join our internship program, or visit us at d:matcha Kyoto to participate in the Tea Farm Tour & Tea Tasting in Yubune, Wazuka Town. 

In some cases, these experiences have even led to sessions for university professors and visits to Yubune. I was surprised to learn that there are institutions in America specifically for teacher education, and I was deeply moved to meet teachers like the Pope couple, who participated in our internship. They are incredibly conscious and admirable individuals who believe that by broadening their own experiences, they can expand their children's horizons. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to share the wonders of Japanese tea with participants like them through these experiences.

Now in the fifth year of the program, we hosted virtual sessions at the end of September and the beginning of October. Currently, we conduct the sessions with a group of around nine participants. If anyone is interested, please feel free to join!

About the Fields: Autumn Harvest (Hiroki A.)

By mid-September, the hot summer has passed, and we begin to feel the shift toward the more comfortable autumn season. Around this time in the fields, in addition to fertilizing, there is the work of harvesting the autumn bancha, known as akiban.

Akiban refers to the buds that have grown after the second tea harvest and the buds branching from them. In this season, these buds are pruned to prepare the tea fields for the first tea harvest of the following year, which forms the foundation for new shoots. Since akiban consists of mature, hardened leaves, they are not suitable for producing high-quality Japanese tea. However, harvesting them helps recover the costs required for this work, so pruning and harvesting are often done simultaneously. The harvested buds are not processed into sencha or tencha but are instead used to make everyday teas like hojicha.

This year, many of our fields underwent a second tea harvest, which extended the tea season, placing significant stress on the tea plants. Additionally, the summer was marked by prolonged high temperatures and lower-than-usual rainfall, which slowed the growth of the autumn buds. This is not ideal for the tea fields. The growth condition of akiban reflects the health of the tea plants, and it serves as an indicator of the quality and yield of next year’s first tea harvest. To cultivate a healthy, vigorous first tea crop, it is essential to nurture the autumn buds, which form its foundation.

Because of this, we were concerned about the poor growth of the branches and leaves in our fields from summer to autumn. However, since September, after the first round of fertilizing and receiving sufficient rainfall, the growth of the autumn buds has significantly improved, allowing us to breathe a sigh of relief. We are truly amazed by the resilience of tea plants.

Sisho Harvest for New Blended Tea (S. Mahdaria)

This month, we're excited to experiment with a new tea blend—Houjicha with Shiso! Last spring, we sold out of our seasonal Wakoucha Shiso blend, so we thought now would be the perfect time to introduce something fresh, especially using Houjicha as the base.

Our neighbour, an elderly man, has a small garden bursting with red Shiso—when I say a lot, I mean a lot! He’s been regularly updating Daiki-san, letting him know that his Shiso is ready for harvest. Since he doesn’t need nearly as much as he grows, it would go to waste if we didn't gather it.

The ideal time to harvest Shiso is when the flowers bloom, and that’s exactly when Daiki, Kristin, and I headed out. Armed with a lorry, pruning shears, and a farming cutter, we set off for the garden.

In less than an hour, we had harvested all the Shiso we needed for our new blend. We're planning to produce just 100 packs of this limited-edition Shiso-blended tea—so make sure you grab yours quickly once it launches!

After harvesting, we carefully washed the Shiso and hung it out to semi-dry under the natural sunlight. Once dried, we handpicked every leaf, ensuring no stems remained before moving on to the next step: fully drying the leaves in our tea dryer for about 30 hours. 

We will update you once we launch the product! YAY

Conducting Tea Ceremony Class in America  (Seiya H.)

At the beginning of this month, I returned to Boston, where I was born and raised. My parents still run a Japanese grocery store in Boston, where they sell d:matcha products. During my one-week stay, I held a tea ceremony class at my father's store.

The class involved tasting d:matcha teas and experiencing the art of preparing matcha. Many foreign customers who visit my father's store are interested in Japanese food and culture, and this class attracted participants who were curious about both tea and Japanese cuisine.

At the start of the class, I had the customers compare bottled green tea with cold-brewed Gyokuro to help them understand "umami." After that, I demonstrated the matcha preparation while dressed in traditional clothing. During the demonstration, I showed them how to prepare matcha, and they got to make their own, tasting three different types of matcha.

In the final segment, I prepared thick matcha and offered everyone a spoonful to taste, completing the hour-long experience. Although d:matcha frequently holds matcha tasting sessions on tours, this was the first time I explained the tea preparation and the thick matcha, as well as recommended water types suitable for brewing tea in America.

Reconnecting with those who have supported me in the U.S. while preparing matcha made for a valuable trip. Now that I’ve finally held a tea-related event in my hometown, I hope to step up my efforts and expand the world of tea even further in the coming year.