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Sencha Honyama
Yamakai Pest.Free

Name: Sencha Honyama Yamakai
SKU: 0854
Price: 19.90 EUR
Availability: InStock

Super Premium 97 P.

SKU

0854

An especially natural and robust mountain sencha from the top growing region of Honyama. Made from the yamakai cultivar. Pesticide-free cultivation. 100g

Details	The rare and esteemed yamakai cultivar: chosen for high-quality green teas due to its finely bitter and clear mountain character. Yamakai is one of the few cultivars with a significant amount of methylated catechins.
Character	Pleasant bitterness and naturalness (yamakai characteristics), classically elegant, refreshing, robust, and finely astringent. A tea for connoisseurs and purists.
Tea Garden	A renowned young tea farmer located in one of the top growing regions for sencha
Terroir	Ushizuma, Honyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Harvest	1st harvest (ichibancha), May 2024
Cultivar	Yamakai
Elevation	450m above sea level
Steaming	Short (asamushi, 20 seconds)
Shading	No shading
Organic Cert.	Pesticide-free cultivation since 1990
Laboratory Tests	Radioactivity (region as of 08/2018)
Grade	97/100 p. (shincha category); Super Premium

In stock

We source this sencha from a young and renowned organic tea farmer specialising in the production of classic Shizuoka sencha and high-quality bancha.

Flavour

The rare yamakai cultivar is the preferred choice for classic sencha with a mountain character. This cultivar originated in Shizuoka as a natural hybrid of yabukita and possesses a distinctively fine bitterness and natural quality. This robust yet clear and elegant tea results form the combined factors of the sunny and steep landscape of Honyama, the bracing climate, the selection of 1st harvest leaves, as well as the brief asamushi steaming method. Recommended for connoisseurs and lovers of classic, purist mountain sencha.

Leaf

Grass green and dark green needles

Cup

Greenish yellow, typical of sencha

Sencha is by far the most commonly cultivated and consumed green tea in Japan and constitutes the backbone of Japanese tea traditions. The leaves are typically steamed for 10-60 seconds, dried with hot air, churned, and via a multi-staged process rolled into flat needles. The flavour profile of sencha is very diverse and varies between sweet, fresh and grassy to robustly bitter. The region of cultivation as well as quality of the tea play a significant role in determining flavour.

We go to great lengths to identify the finest organic tea farms across the world’s most celebrated terroirs. All our teas are sourced directly from the farmer and, with a few exceptions, are certified organic or come from pesticide-free farms. Each batch of tea for every harvest is tested for pesticides and other pollutants in an independent German lab to ensure they meet our strict quality standards as well as HACCP food safety requirements. Likewise, all the regions of Japan from which we source our teas are tested for radioactivity for every harvest.

Premium Organic Teas

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.

Cultivation & Processing

The tea field is located in the steep, mountainous landscape of Honyama. It is perched high above a river valley and protected from both sides by forest. Since 1990 the fields have not been treated with pesticides and have only be fertilised with natural products. Only a few dozen kilos of this tea are harvested each year, using hand-operated machines. Honyama is considered one of the best growing regions for sencha in Japan.

Single Origin

This tea is exclusively sourced from the above mentioned tea farm in Honyama. Sourced directly from the tea farmer.

Preparation

Brewing Guide

2 heaped teaspoons per 100–300ml water (55–60°C). Steep for 2 minutes. Suitable for several infusions.

Packaging

High-quality, airtight, resealable standing zipper pouch with 9 protective layers to preserve flavour and protect against oxidation and contamination.

Recommended Teapot

The ideal teapot for sencha is a red tokoname kyusu with a fine ceramic sieve, which can best bring out the taste of sencha. Alternatively, a black tokoname kyusu can be used, which is a good all-rounder for preparing green teas.

Recommended Storage

A high-quality tea caddy made of cherry bark (solid wood, kabazaiku chazutsu) is ideal, though any airtight tea caddy with internal coating will suffice.

Test results

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.

See tests

Sencha Honyama Yamakai Pest.Free

Tea Farm

Character