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2024 Yakushima Kuritawase Shincha

2024 Yakushima Kuritawase Shincha

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Learn all the secrets of the Shincha Yakushima Kuritawase

The Shincha Yakushima Kuritawase is a delicious tea that’s first to be harvested in the spring of each year on the beautiful island of Yakushima

Taste

Yakushima Kuritawase Shincha flavor chart

Discover the results of Nio Teas’ 4 step tea tasting method

To evaluate the flavor of the Shincha Yakushima Kuritawase we look for a combination of the aroma and also how the tea interacts with the palate. Does it produce a dryness, acidity, minerality, sweetness or umami? We’ll also evaluate the texture of the tea, otherwise known as mouthfeel. Finally, for sencha tea, we’ll evaluate it based on how vegetal the taste profile is as this is a common characteristic throughout most sencha teas. 

Step 1 - Observing the Appearance

This is a japanese sencha green tea loose leaf and the leaves are on the lighter side, as the tea is unshaded and they are rolled into tight needle shapes with some smaller leaf particles. 

Step 2 - Assessing the Aroma

The aroma coming off the sencha green tea loose leaf leaves is light and citrusy, with a tiny hint of these marine or steamed spinach notes.

Step 3 - Tasting the Tea

This tea starts off with a light sweetness and then transitions into a flowery freshness. The tea begins to drift into a light umami, but it is not too strong. There is also a bit of hazelnut nuttiness and sweet corn in the finish.

Step 4 - Evaluating the sensation on the palate

The structure of this kuritawase sencha is quite complex. There is some sweetness to it, but it is well-balanced by the fresh acidity and umami of the mid-palate. The tea doesn’t stray too far in any one direction, but rather plays in the realm of subtlety and nuance.

100% Organically grown and Ethically Sourced

At Nio, we like to partner with tea farmers who prioritize organic farming practices and avoid harmful pesticides or chemicals. We firmly believe that this more natural approach to farming enhances the flavor of the tea and promotes the sustainability and vitality of the tea fields.

Based on our experience, tea plantations that adopt these organic farming techniques cultivate strong and healthy tea plants, while fostering a diverse ecosystem that sustains a variety of plant and animal species.

Nio Teas Unique Organically grown sourcing process

  • We meticulously conduct taste tests to identify the perfect flavor profile for each tea, ensuring that only the finest teas make it to our collection.
  • We communicate with farmers to gain insights into their organic and chemical-free farming practices, building strong relationships based on mutual respect
  • We personally visit tea plantations to assess the quality of the plants and manufacturing facilities
  • We evaluate the surrounding ecosystem to ensure the preservation of the plant and wildlife species
JAS Japanese Agriculture Standards logo

JAS Certified

At Nio, we partner with tea farmers who follow pesticide and chemical-free farming practices. Some of our teas, such as the kuritawase sencha, proudly carry the JAS logo, signifying compliance with Japanese Agriculture Standards. These strict standards prohibit the use of pesticides and chemicals in tea cultivation.

We ask that the larger farmers we work with produce the JAS certification, which is obtained through thorough soil sampling and analysis, ensuring that their teas meet the highest standards of quality and sustainability.

We also understand that smaller tea farmers may have limited resources for soil testing. Therefore, we accept their teas under the "pesticide-free" label. This provides them with an opportunity to showcase their teas while still maintaining our commitment to sustainability and excellence.

How to prepare the tea

To prepare this Kuritawase sencha, you can use a lower temperature water and a shorter brewing time. 1 minute should be more than enough time to extract a delicious flavor from the green tea.

  • icon of a teapot with temperature brewing instruction in degree for 60 degree celsius and 140 degree fahrenheit

    Step 1

    First, heat the water to a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius or 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This will be the perfect temperature for this kuritawase sencha

  • icon of 5 grams of tea leaves

    Step 2

    Add 5 grams of the kuritawase to your kyusu teapot and then pour in 150ml of the water you heated previously.

  • icon of a teapot with time brewing instruction of 1 minute

    Step 3

    Allow the tea leaves to brew in the water undisturbed for 1 minute, which should be enough time for the tea leaves to open up and release their flavor into the water.

  • black icon of a cup of tea

    Step 4

    After the brewing time is up, you can pour out your yakushima kuritawase sencha and the teapot will automatically filter out the leaves so they don’t end up in your cup. Enjoy your tea!

  • icon of a teapot with time brewing instruction of 20 seconds

    2nd brew

    Don't throw the tea leaves just yet! The yakushima kuritawase sencha can be brewed 2-3 more times. To reinfuse the tea, you can pour additional hot water into the teapot and allow the leaves to brew for 20 seconds.

  • icon of glace of matcha latte with ice cubes

    Cold brew

    We do not recommend cold brewing the yakushima kuritawase sencha

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Learn more

Necessary teaware

To brew up a delicious cup of this yakushima kuritawase sencha, we recommend you pick up a kyusu teapot. The ideal teapot for this is the Fukamushi teapot, which has a circular mesh filter that makes it easier to filter out the tea leaves as you pour.

Alternative without teaware 

If you’re not able to get a teapot, the next best thing is using a tea strainer for the  yakushima kuritawase sencha. This will not only separate the tea leaves out as you pour but also stop the infusion so the tea doesn’t overbrew. 

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Fujiwara farm in japan

Location of production and farmer

Information about the farm

In the middle of the wooded mountains, the Fujiwara family manages a small tea garden where they carefully handcraft the Yakushima Shincha.

Fujiwara-san has fulfilled a long time dream by creating his own organic tea gardens. At the same time, he has really become a pioneer for organic cultivation in the region and it is a privilege to work with him!

map with the location of yakushima tea fields in Japan

Sourced in Yakushima

Japan

The Yakushima Kuritawase Shincha is grown on the beautiful island of Yakushima in the far South of Japan. This island benefits from lots of rainfall, mountainous terrain and a mild subtropical climate, making the perfect growing conditions for Japanese green tea. When we visited Yakushima Island, we were blown away not only by the diversity of wildlife, but also the people's commitment to protecting it.

Cultivar and tea plant variety

As the name would suggest, the Yakushima Kuritawase Shincha is made from the Kuritawase cultivar, a rare cultivar in Japan.

  • Kuritawase

    The kuritawase cultivar is very rare in Japan as a whole, but it can be found on the islands of Tanegashima and Yakushima. It buds earlier than the common yabukita and it’s used in a sencha to produce a yellow liquor, a pleasant milky aroma and a smoothe flavor that has less astringency.

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Free Worldwide Shipping & Delivery

All orders qualify for free shipping, and we strive to use the most cost-effective shipping carrier available for your country. For customers in the U.S and E.U, shipping time typically takes 5-7 days, while for customers outside these regions, it may take approximately 10 days. We also offer faster shipping options for an additional fee, depending on the country.

Order issues

If you encounter any issues with your order, please contact us immediately via email at info@nioteas.com, as this is the best platform for customer service inquiries. For quick questions, you may also reach out to us via direct message on Instagram at @nio_japanese_green_tea.

Payments

We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, and Apple Pay for payment. If you prefer to pay by bank transfer, simply select the option during checkout, and we will provide you with further details. Your order will be shipped once the payment has been successfully processed.

Returns & Refunds

We are committed to ensuring that every customer has a positive tea experience with Nio. If you are unsatisfied with the tea you receive, please let us know, and we would be happy to send you a replacement. Your satisfaction is our priority.

Shincha Yakushima Kuritawase learning plateform

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