Botebotecha from Ocha no Sankoen, Shimane, Japan Ocha no Sankoen

Botebotecha is a traditional way of making tea by whisking brewed bancha tea leaves, wild chrysanthemum flowers, and sometimes other ingredients (okowa, boiled beans, rice mixed with red beans (sekihan), shredded kouya tofu and pickels) practiced in Matsue City, the capital of Shimane Prefecture. The tea flowers are said to contain sopamine and that helps create a large amount of foam.

This base provided by Shimane based Ocha no Sankoen is made with a roasted bancha blended with tea flowers.

Historically, it is said that the tea master and daimyo lord Harusato Matsudaira (1751-1818, known by his tea name Fumai) would make this as a snack when he went hawking. During a time of famine, Matsudaira told people to eat their scare food in this way to extend their rations. The name “botebotecha” comes from the sound of whisking vigorously.

Instructions: If you can get all the ingredients necessary to make this traditional folk tea, we have the tea itself for you here. Boil the bancha / tea flower mix in a kettle, and then allow to cool. Whisk it (very hard) with a bit of salt at the edges of the whisk until you get a bubble bath level of foam. Then you are supposed to mix the food into the tea, and let it settle so you can pour it into your mouth.

Teamona has a great photo of the whisked foamed tea here (see her instagram here and a few other photos of botebotecha on instagram here).

Traditional Instructions

We will be exploring our own steeping methods with this tea since the traditional way of drinking may be difficult for most people.

1. Place the tea into a kettle with water and bring to a boil.
2. After it cools, pour into a bowl.
3. Use a long chasen (bamboo whisk) with the tips dipped in salt, and whisk vigorously until it foams.

Alternatively as tea: 3g / 1 min / 90C (195F) / 200 ml

Japanese Version:

1. ぼてぼて茶の茶葉を土瓶に入れて煮立てます
2. 少し冷ましたものを茶碗にそそぎます
3. 長めの茶筅の佐紀に塩をつけて泡立てます

Product Info

• Ingredients: Green tea (roasted bancha), tea flowers
• Region: Shimane Prefecture

Producer Info

• Producer: Sankoen
• CEO: Masaya Oshima
• Established: 1984
• Employees: 13
• Family business, factory
• Certifications: ISO22000 (2016/7/27)