Ryoku-cha; Green Tea 緑茶

Shin-cha 新茶

In Japan, they have four times tea picking in the season. The first picking starts in the middle of April until mid May, and the first crops of every year are called "Shin-cha; new tea" and is both rich in flavor and aroma. People enjoy the "first" picked tea for wishing of their good health over the year.

The following picking will be held as the second from mid Jun to beginning of July, the third from end of July to beginning of August and the forth from end of September to beginning of October.

There are several types of green tea in Japan, Gyokuro 玉露, Sen-cha 煎茶, Ban-cha 番茶, Houji-cha ほうじ茶, and more. Sen-cha is most common green tea in dairy life. They each have best temperature/time to brew in, but you may find your best suite tast by how you brew!

How to serve green tea

• 1. Put tea leaves in a tea pot. about 1 tea spoon of tea leaves for 1 person.
• 2. Pour hot water in a tea cup to allow the temperature down, and then transfer that water to the tea pot.
• The tea will become bitter in brewing with hot water so this process makes tea brewed in best temperature (70-80c for Sen-cha), also it is for making cup warm up and measuring just mount of water needed for cups.
• 3. About 40 sec after, make slowly turn the teapot around a few times to bring more tea richness out. Now it is good time to pour the tea to the cup!
• 4.When you make a few cups of tea, pour the tea a little by little evenly throughout cups. It is important to pour tea until last drop from the tea pot. For the best second tea, avoid leaving any excess water in the pot.