Nishide: 2023 Organic Uji Shincha Imperial, Ohashiri (Single Cultivar Yabukita) 極上宇治新茶 Nishide Tea Factory

Harvested from the fields of Kyoto in early May, with leaves carefully selected and refined by Takashi Nishide, this “Ohashiri” is an extra early harvest of fine, young, delicate green tea leaves.

Only about 50kg of this leaf was harvested in 2023, and Nishide-san called us excitedly to say that this was the best he has ever seen organic sencha from the Uji region of Kyoto due to the excellent weather. Though shaded for 15 days, it is best described as a high quality umami rich sencha rather than a more powerfully umami soaked kabusecha.

Product Info

• Ingredients: Green tea
• Cultivar: Yabukita
• Shaded: 15 days
• Harvest: May 4th by Inaoki Hiroyuki, refined by Takashi Nishide
• Region: Minami Yamashiro Village, Kyoto Prefecture

Steeping Notes

• 1st Steeping – Tea: 5 grams. Time: 60 seconds. Water: 60˚C/140˚F, 1 cup.
• 2nd Steeping – Time: 10 seconds. Water: 80˚C/176˚F, 1 cup.
• 3rd Steeping – Time: 45 seconds. Water: 90˚C/194˚F, 1 cup.
• The amounts above are guidelines. Adjust to preference.
• Consider also advanced steeping techniques such as cold or ice steeping (see Steeping Techniques).

Producer Info

• Name: Nishide Tea Factory (Nishide Seichajyo Co., Ltd.)
• Type: Family-owned tea factory
• CEO: Takashi Nishide
• Address: 59 Higashiokutani Zenjyoji, Ujitawara-cho, Tsuzuki-gun, Kyoto 610-0201, Japan

The Nishide Tea Factory is managed by husband and wife team, Takashi and Atsuko Nishide and their family. Established over 140 years ago, the Nishide family buys aracha tea (unrefined leaves) from the tea farms of Kyoto and surrounding prefectures, and refines them further to craft high quality tea leaves that are uniform in color and shape, and of course excellent in flavor.