Wakoen Tea Farm: 2023 Kagoshima Fukamushicha – Takumi (Premium Grade) 和香園 深蒸し茶 匠 Wakoen Tea Farm

Rainforest Alliance certified, family-owned tea farm, Wakoen Co., Ltd., presents their top level, deep steamed fukamushicha green tea, Takumi – meaning “master craftsman”.

This tea is shaded for 7-10 days to increase its umami flavor and reduce bitterness, and is then deep-steamed (steamed for a longer than usual amount of time), which creates a very soft leaf, broken into fragments during rolling. This creates a deep, richly flavored and beautifully opaque green tea. 

There are four teas in the series: Miyabi, Takumi, Kaori, and You.

Steeping Notes

• Tea: 5 grams
• Time: 30-60 sec
• Water Temperature: 70C/160F degrees
• Water Amount: 200 ml
• Resteep up to 3 times. The second resteeping can be quick, water in and out as the leaves are already primed. Using hotter water may also extract stronger flavor in subsequent steeps.
• Use cooler water for sweeter flavors, hotter water for more bitter flavors
• Use more tea leaves, less water, or longer time for greater strength of flavor.
• Cold steeping also recommend
• See Yunomi.life/steep for more details on techniques

Product Info

• Ingredients: Green Tea
• Harvest: April
• Region: Ariake Town, Shibushi City, Kagoshima
• Steaming: Deep steamed

About the farm

One of Japan’s largest family owned tea farms, the Horiguchi family has been operating since 1948 and currently manages 120 hectares directly with another 100 hectares cultivated by contract partner farms. The company is certified FSSC22000, the top food safety standard globally, Rainforest Alliance certified, and certified to product organic tea.

Cultivation utilizes mechanical pest controls: their machines Hurricane King utilizes wind and water pressure to blow away insects, and Steam Buster SL uses steam to kill weeds.

President Horiguchi Daisuke (left), and Chairman Horiguchi Yasuhisa (right).
 

Hurricane King

View more videos from the farm on Youtube