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| Cultivation and Production Steps of Tencha |
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| Tencha - Pure Elegant Flavor |
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| Main Topic |
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| Seasonal Topics & Items |
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| Dear Sir and Madam, |
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| We at Hibiki-an THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your continued patronage and support. We are pleased to offer useful information for your healthy life and continued enjoyment of Japanese green tea. In this issue, we talk about 'Cultivation and Production Steps of Tencha (Tencha - Pure Elegant Flavor)'. |
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Cultivation and Production Steps of Tencha (Tencha - Pure Elegant Flavor) |
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We would like to introduce Tencha cultivation and production steps.
Fertilizing at Tencha, Matcha, and Gyokuro Tea Farm
Tea trees for Tencha, Matcha, and Gyokuro are fertilized three times as much as other kinds of tea, such as Sencha, in order to create the characteristic deep sweet taste. Please see the pictures below from a Tencha (Matcha) tea farm where the tea trees are fed about three times the usual amount of fertilizer as well as another tea farm.
Harvest
Twenty to thirty days before harvest, green tea trees for Tencha, Matcha, and Gyokuro are covered with special curtains. These curtains are used to shade tea trees from direct sunlight. Tea grown this way has a sweet and mild flavor, because without sunlight there will be few bitter tannins. Carefully grown in the shade for twenty days before harvesting, a cup of Tencha, Matcha, or Gyokuro has several unique features: an elegant aroma, a sweet taste and a light green color. Shading tea sprouts from the sun creates Theanine, a natural element that gives Tencha, Matcha, and Gyokuro a mellow taste. Tencha Pinnacle and Tencha Super Premium are carefully harvested by hand.
Aracha Processing of Tencha
Tea leaves which have not yet been ground into the fine powder of Matcha are known as Tencha. Fresh tea leaves are processed just after harvest. At the most, they should be processed within 24 hours after harvest. Tencha (Matcha) processing includes 1) Steaming, 2) Cooling down, and 3) Drying. Matcha tea leaves before ground into powder are called Tencha.
In contrast to that, processing steps for Gyokuro and Sencha are 1) Steaming, 2) Kneading, 3) Shaping, and 4) Drying. Tea leaves for Tencha (Matcha) are not Kneaded at the processing steps.
By the kneading process, the cell walls of the tea leaves are broken down, so that the flavor (and beneficial nutrients naturally found in tea leaves) can easily infuse into water. Because Matcha is ground into fine powder, kneading is not necessary to break down the cell walls. So, Tencha is not kneaded. Since Tencha does not go through the kneading process and is not ground into powder, this is one reason why the flavor of Tencha is quite unique, pure, noble, and elegant. |
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| Fertilized at tea tree roots |
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| Farms built "Tana" canopy |
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| Tea leaves for Tencha in "Tana" canopy |
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| Hand picked harvest |
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| Tea leaves dry in a three or four level fire pit, heated from underneath by a burner |
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| Tea leaves emerging from the fire pit |
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[Limited] Tencha is Now Available! |
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| Both Tencha teas below are limited edition of 600 packages each ONLY AVAILABLE this summer season. We hope you will enjoy the pure and elegant flavor of Tencha! |
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[Limited] Tencha Pinnacle (30g/1.06oz) US$31.00 (Now Available)
Traditionally, Tencha was not brewed like Gyokuro or Sencha, because this was not included in the traditional Tea Ceremony teachings. And so, for many years, brewed Tencha has quietly been enjoyed in secret among only a few Matcha manufacturers... |
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[Limited] Tencha Super Premium (30g/1.06oz) US$23.00 (Now Available)
This Tencha Super Premium has specially been arranged in order to be brewed in the same way as Gyokuro or Sencha. The taste is deep and mellow, and the subtle noble aroma lingers in the mouth for a while... |
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[Limited] Tencha Premium (60g/2.12oz) US$27.00 (Now Available)
Tea leaves for Tencha (Matcha) are grown in the same way as Gyokuro, but processed differently than Gyokuro. The growing and processing bring the unique excellent flavor of Tencha. Of course, this Tencha also makes a lovely iced tea. The flavor is uniquely elegant... |
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Iced Tencha: click here
Have you tried Iced Tencha? Iced Tencha has a unique, excellent, and noble flavor which is different both from Iced Gyokuro and Matcha... |
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| What is Tencha?: click here |
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| Are you enjoying your green moments? Hibiki-an encourages those who love to drink green tea. If you have any requests or questions regarding our teas or services, please don't hesitate to contact us. We sincerely hope that you enjoy genuine Hibiki-an Japanese green tea direct to you from Kyoto, Japan. |
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| Sincerely yours, |
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| Atsushi Yasui |
Seasonal Topics & Items
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[Limited] Konacha is Now Available! |
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Konacha is made from the specks and tiny tea leaves of Gyokuro or Sencha tea leaves. Konacha is less expensive than tea leaves because Konacha is a natural byproduct of traditional tea processing, like Karigane. Especially Konacha, sorted from high grade tea leaves, has a better flavor than tea leaves of a similarly low price.
All items below are limited edition of 600 packages each ONLY AVAILABLE this summer season.
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[Limited] Gyokuro Konacha Super Premium (100g/3.53oz): US$19.00 (Now Available)
Gyokuro Konacha Super Premium is an excellent value. Because it is made from the specks and tiny tea leaves of only the highest quality Gyokuro, such as Gyokuro Pinnacle, Super Premium, Kuradashi Gyokuro Pinnacle, and Super Premium, you can have the finest quality for a fraction of the cost... |
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[Limited] Gyokuro Konacha (200g/7.06oz): US$27.00 (Now Available)
Made from premium Gyokuro specks and tiny tea leaves, Gyokuro Konacha has a unique and delicately sweet flavor. Gyokuro Konacha is an excellent value. Because it is made from the specks and tiny tea leaves of only high quality Gyokuro... |
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[Limited] Sencha Konacha (200g/7.06oz): US$19.00 (Now Available)
Made from premium Sencha specks and tiny tea leaves, Sencha Konacha has a unique and delicately sweet flavor. Sencha Konacha is an excellent value. Because it is made from the specks and tiny tea leaves of only high quality Sencha... |
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A Tip for Brewing Konacha: click here
Konacha specks are more easily brewed for shorter time than regular Gyokuro or Sencha tea leaves. The brewing time is half of regular Gyokuro or Sencha tea leaves... |
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Iced Gyokuro and Sencha Using Konacha: click here
Iced Gyokuro and Sencha Using Konacha: Konacha brews quickly and flavorfully in about half the time as regular Gyokuro or Sencha tea leaves, so Konacha is perfect for Iced Gyokuro and Sencha... |
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| What is Konacha?: click here |
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[Limited] Handpainted Glasses, Elegant Yunomi & Matcha Bowl (Summer)
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| We have arranged for some glass tea ware and porcelain, which are all limited edition only available this summer season. They are all designed with modern,
sophisticated style, while others use traditional handcrafted techniques
for a more traditional design. They will all expand in application depending
on your idea. Please take a look. |
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[Limited] TAKE SANKAKUZU (handpainted glass: pair): US$110.00 (Now Available)
Drawing patterns of this pair of sophisticated tumbler glasses are designed in the motif of a traditional paintings of artisans who revived or established flourish schools which both played the most significant role in Japanese painting history... |
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[Limited] TAKEZU (handpainted glass: 330ml): US$65.00 (Now Available)
This drawing pattern is designed in the motif of a traditional painting called TAKE TORAZU, which was originally drawn by Tanyu Kano (1602 - 1672). He was the great ancestor who revived the KANO school which played the most significant role in Japanese painting history... |
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[Limited] SANKAKUZU (handpainted glass: 330ml): US$65.00 (Now Available)
This drawing pattern is designed in the motif of a traditional drawing pattern called KAKUZU, which was originally drawn by Hohitsu Sakai (1761 - 11829). This looks like the cranes are standing in the water (bottom of glass); a beautiful effect... |
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[Limited] HANA KESSHO HANADA (handcrafted Matcha Bowl): US$106.00 (Now Available)
This Matcha bowl is flat and open style. The flat style was originally developed in order to choreograph coolness in the summer season in the Middle Ages. This HANADA color is quite elegant and beautiful like a clear blue sky or crystal clear aqua ocean... |
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Iced Japanese Tea Using Hibiki-an Teabags
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| If you have neither Kyusu nor teapot with a fine mesh filter, it is easy and convenient to prepare iced Japanese tea using Hibiki-an Teabags. |
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(1) Iced Japanese Tea Using Hibiki-an Teabags
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| Using Hibiki-an tea bags, you can prepare iced Japanese tea as explained in the above recipes. Each individual tea bag from Hibiki-an contains 5 grams of tea leaves. |
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(2) Preparing Iced Japanese Tea in Canteen
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| If you use Hibiki-an Teabags, you can prepare iced Japanese tea in a canteen or water bottle and bring it along to the office, the beach, or anywhere! It is not only healthy but also economy, and kind to environment. |
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Place 1 to 3 individual tea bags into a canteen, depending on the size of the canteen (1 tea bag per 250 or 400ml (8.8 or 14.08fl oz) of water). |
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Fill the canteen with water and pieces of ice. |
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It will finish brewing in 3 to 6 hours. |
| You can brew Iced Japanese Tea with any of our Teabag items. |
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(Notice) Tracking Delivery Status on our Website
You can now check the delivery status of orders shipped by Express International Delivery on your Account Information (Order History page) on our website. Previously, our customers had to ask us for the tracking number and check the status on their own. Now that the delivery status of orders shipped by Express International is available on our website, this will help to ensure that orders will reach our customers more smoothly. Orders shipped by Standard International Delivery are not trackable, which is the same as in the past. |
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- Order History page: clicking here.
- Express International Delivery: clicking here.
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Account info
You can view your account info, including your order history, as well as change your email, password, or home address or add a new shipping address to your address book by clicking here.
Or if you prefer, we are happy to update your account info for you. Just let us know. Please don't hesitate to contact us!
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