Kanes Tea: Honzu No. 5 – 2023 Competition Grade Asamushi Sencha from Kawane, Shizuoka Kanes Tea Factory

Komatsu Naomi of Kanes Tea Factory always has the best tea in mind for the Japanese tea connoisseurs of Yunomi.life.

This yabukita cultivar tea leaf was shaded for 5 days before harvest beneath traditional straw shading (the kind used in heritage grade gyokuro and matcha). This creates the exquisitely balanced sweetness.

It was handpicked with the 30 pluckers directed to choose only the bud and first leaf for the most delicate needle. Only 3kg were harvested of which we have 1kg.

Then, light steamed (asamushi), the leaf remains intact, allowing a very careful crafting of the leaves into perfect needles, resulting in a translucent golden liquor.

Finally, the finishing of the tea is done by hand, filtering out tea fannings and stems, the slowly green-roasted on a tradition Japanese washi paper table for about 8 min (heated to 77C, with the leaf heating to about 45C). The table itself was heated with bamboo charcoal (binchotan) with the heat adjusted by adding ash created from straw.

To prevent the needles from breaking in transit to you, the tea is packaged in mini matte black cans. Note: limit of 50g per customer.

Steeping notes

Tea: 2-3 grams. Time: 1-2 min. Water: 50C/122F, 30 ml.

The 2nd steeping may use hotter water, steeping for 10-15 seconds. I prefer 70C/158F and 200 ml of water. Subsequent steepings may require more time – generally 60 seconds. A final steeping can be of cold water, 500 ml, and left in the refrigerator overnight for a light, refreshing iced tea the next morning.

Alternatively, steep it under ice, allowing the ice to steep the tea leaf as it melts.

Recommended tea ware: Shiboridashi

Product Info

• Ingredients: Green Tea
• Cultivar: Yabukita
• Harvest: May
• Region: Kawane Village, Shizuoka Prefecture
• Steaming: Lightly steamed
• Shading: 5 days under honzu (traditional straw canopy)