Kurihara Tea #18: Oku Yame Black Tea Benifuuki べにふうき Kurihara Tea Farm

While Japan is certainly not known for their black tea, innovative and dedicated tea farmers are learning to produce delicate but delicious black teas. This deep and distinctive black tea comes from the Kurihara family (based in Yame, Fukuoka prefecture), one of Japan’s best at creating a premium green tea called gyokuro.  The benifuuki cultivar is well known in Japan for its high level of catechin which will convert smoothly into flavorful tanning when used to create black teas. To appreciate the profoundness of this black tea, it is recommended to drink it straight. However, one may also enjoy it as a milk tea (okay, you can also add sugar or honey!) because it has the astringency that is characteristic of Assam tea.

As a side note, in general, Japanese black teas have a lower caffeine content than other black teas,  so it can be enjoyed by a wide range of people – from children to elders! Please enjoy with sweets that go well with black tea, such as cookies, cakes, and scones. 

Product Info

• Name: Oku Yame Black Tea KURENAI YAMETSUHIME
• Ingredients: Black tea
• Harvest: Summer
• Cultivar: Benifuuki
• Region: Yabemura village, Yame, Fukuoka

Vendor Info

• Name: Kurihara Seicha Ltd. (Kippei, Yuji, and Akio Kurihara (Father and sons))
• Type: Tea farm and factory, family business.
• Location: 4236 Kita Yabe, Yabe-mura, Yame-shi, Fukuoka Prefecture 834-1401, JAPAN
• Size: About 3 hectares
• Altitude: 300 – 700 meters