Matcha powder © Evanhoever - Wikimedia commons - CC BY-SA 4.0

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Kagoshima, main producing area for organic teas in Japan

I wanted to go on the Kyūshū island first since Kagoshima bay producers are at the cutting edge for organic cultivation, that I am especially interested in, as you know, for the teas I choose to bring back. Even if Kyōto is known for being the cradle of matcha, Kagoshima surrounding area has rich soils, a good amount of sunshine and a mountainous environment, all appropriate for tencha cultivation.

Farming tencha also requires specific skills and know-how: you must protect the tea trees from the sun for the last weeks before harvest. On the pictures below are the traditional straw blinds (“honzu”) used to cover tea leaves in order to help the plant drawing more nutrients from the ground and becoming richer in amino acids necessary to get a smooth matcha with umami hints.

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Tea trees shadowed by honzu © L'Autre Thé

The appearance of gardens I visit when I travel can vary a lot depending on countries and local habits. What strikes me the most in Japan is the extreme precision: plants are always trimmed with the utmost meticulousness, which creates very linear landscapes rarely seen elsewhere.

I always look at the soil at the foot of tea trees when I visit a tea garden: if wild flowers and weeds are freely growing, it is a good sign that the farmer does not use any chemical treatments and cares for nature. Another good way to discover a new tea is to chew a leaf, especially if we are talking about a future matcha, which is the only tea for which we eat all the plant (which is crushed and not brewed).

Growing a fine tencha

To give a tencha every chances to give an excellent matcha tea, several rules have to be taken into account:

• the crops must be shadowed at least three weeks before harvest
• tea trees should not be pruned more than once a year after harvest (which implies only one harvest per year).

Once the leaves are collected, the oxidization is stopped (same as for any green tea) by steaming them for 20 seconds. The leaves are then cooled down and dried in a tencha oven. The tea is then sweat and dried without any mixing. Leaves are not rolled up, they will start crumbling by themselves.  

After striding along these tea gardens back and forth, I felt like discovering the city of Kagoshima. Destination: onsen (public baths in hot springs) with a view on Sakurajima volcano, which is still active. It is one of my favourite things in Japan: life is both very organized, technological, and sometimes really peaceful and close to Nature at the same time. Contrasts are one of Japan’s attractions!

A trip to Japan is not a real experiment if you do not try new food. I (bravely) tried Kagoshima’s speciality, the chicken sashimi: thin slices of raw chicken with grated ginger and soy sauce. How can I say it… it was not the best culinary experiment of my life! But I am glad I tried it.

Next stages of my journey: Kyōto and Uji, the Japan capital for matcha tea. I will tell you more about how the matcha is made, now that you know the ins and outs of tencha. I also have a few good addresses to share.

Meanwhile, feel free to comment with questions about matcha or about this post in general, I really hope that you enjoyed these first steps on my blog!

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See you very soon for more Japanese adventures!