Seikoen Tea Factory No. 20: 2023 Shincha Yutaka Midori Fukamushicha (Kagoshima) – Imperial Seikoen

A single cultivar, Yutaka Midori from Seikoen Tea Factory. The tea leaves were grown in Kagoshima Prefecture (southern Japan) are deep steamed to make fukamushicha, a form of sencha where the leaves are broken up into small piece and that creates a deep opaque green liquor. Refined by Matsuki-san at his factory in Niigata Prefecture (northern Japan), the base grade of this lot forms a tea that is wonderful for your daily cup.

A note about the cultivar: Yutaka Midori (ゆたかみどり) means abundant green in Japanese. It is a cultivar that is mostly found in Kagoshima prefecture (30% cultivated area) as it is a cultivar that is suitable for warm weather. This cultivar ranks second after the Yabukita cultivar with respect to cultivation area and popularity in Japan. While producers often mix the Yutaka Midori with other cultivars, a single cultivar tea will give a deep green color with a balanced astringency and sweetness and pleasant fragrance.  

Product Info

• Ingredients: Green tea
• Cultivar: Yutaka Midori
• Harvest: April
• Region: Leaves from Kagoshima. Refined in Niigata, Japan.
• Storage: Keep airtight in cool, dry location.
• Steeping: 3-5g, 60 sec, 200ml, 60C/140F. Use hotter water for more astringency, cooler for more sweetness; more leaves or less water for stronger flavor.

Vendor Info

• Name: Seikoen Tea Factory
• Type: Tea Finishing Factory based in Northern Japan
• President: Yoshiyuki Matsuki
• Location: Ichinomiya 4-1-6 Itoigawa, Niigata 941-0056, Japan