Super Premium 97 P.
Yoshi En has recently grown out of Sunday Natural to become an independent premium tea store. As part of this transition, some products may still be shipped in Sunday Natural packaging.
| Character | Very well balanced, silky, fine, sweet, alkaline, nourishing |
| Tea Garden | A cooperative of small tea farms in Tenryu |
| Terroir | Tenryu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan |
| Harvest | Between 1st and 2nd harvest 2023 (Meban; jp: 芽番), June |
| Cultivar | Yabukita |
| Elevation | 450-650m above sea level |
| Steaming | Short (asamushi, approximately 20 seconds) |
| Organic Cert. | EU certified organic, JAS organic |
| Laboratory Tests | Laboratory tested for radioactivity (Region as of 11/2019) and pesticides (641 substances, as of 01/2017) |
| Grade | 97/100 P. (Bancha category); Super Premium |
We source this meban bancha from a young and renowned organic tea farmer specialising in the production of classic Shizuoka sencha and high-quality bancha.
This excellent organic meban unites the advantages of a strong sencha with the alkaline mildness of a bancha. The pleasant and well-rounded yabukita cultivar grows to its fullest in the choice mountainous terroir of Tenryu. The tea has a pleasant complexity and strength, paired perfectly with a wonderfully delicate bitterness. The tea has chlorophyll sweetness and an alkaline nourishing character. One of the best bancha in Japan.
Very fine, long needles (like a sencha), vibrant colour, small proportion of stems
Vibrant light green
Bancha is a pillar of Japanese green tea tradition and typically made from the broad leaves of later harvests, although some premium bancha are made from the leaves of the early interim harvest (meban). This kind of tea is very mild, alkaline and important in macrobiology, making it an ideal evening tea.
Our comprehensive portfolio focuses on organic, single-origin teas sourced directly from renowned farms. We believe in creating partnerships with farmers who share our values and are committed to sustainable, responsible tea cultivation. Thanks to these strong relationships our exciting range is constantly growing and evolving. As an international team of dedicated and passionate tea experts, we are committed to preserving centuries-old tea culture while ensuring it remains relevant and continues to bring joy in the present. About Yoshi En.
The tea fields are located in a mountainous terrain near the basin of the Tenryu River. The terroir is characterised by high rainfall (1,500mm+) and mineral-rich soil. The steep slopes require hand-operated harvest machinery.
This tea is exclusively sourced from the above mentioned tea farms in Tenryu. Sourced directly from the tea farmers.
2 heaped tsp per 100-300ml (60°C) water. Steep for 2 minutes. Suitable for several infusions.
High quality, airtight, resealable standing zipper pouch with 9 protective layers to preserve flavour and protect against oxidation and contamination.
The ideal teapot for this tea is a brown kyusu or dobin designed for bancha (which allows it to develop a more full-bodied flavour). A black tokoname kyusu with a fine ceramic strainer would be suitable to achieve a more neutral taste.
A high-quality tea caddy made of cherry bark (solid wood, kabazaiku chazutsu) is ideal. Alternatively, a cheaper, internally coated, airtight tea caddy can suffice.
We find it very important that our teas are pure and produced in a way that respects the environment. For this reason, each one of our teas is tested for pesticide residues by an independent laboratory, the results of which can be found here. Some of our teas are also tested for specific nutritional compounds, in which case the test results are also published here.
