Shizen Tea Blog

How To Store Green Tea

For teas, it is very important that you store it in a proper way to enjoy the ever lasting best taste. If not stored properly, it may damage the teas and next time you will notice that the teas do not have the same taste or scent. 

The points that should be avoided are the following:

1. Humidity
Humidity stimulates oxidation of teas, as it will effect the leaf color, tea color, and the scent of the tea.

2. High Temperature
High Temperature stimulates the oxidation of Chlorophyll and Catechin, which effects the color of the teas.

3. Sun Light or any kind of light
Light stimulates the decomposition of Chlorophyll, which will also effect the color of the teas.

4. Oxygen
Oxygen stimulates the oxidation of Chlorophyll, Catechin, and Vitamin C, which will effect the taste.

5. Smell/fragrance of others
Tea has a strong deodorant efficacy so if you do not seal or close the package properly it will absorb many kind of smells and fragrance.

To avoid the above, please put your teas in a complete sealed environment and store at a cool dark place.
It will be the best to have it in a tea canister or put it in a aluminum package that has a seal. Also we recommend to put it in a refrigerator where it is isolated from strong scent produce and foods. For our ShiZen teas, it all comes with a aluminum package so you can simply seal it tightly and put it in a refrigerator with no worries. Also we do have tea canisters(its on special sale right now:)) too, that will do the job the best.

We really hope you enjoy your teas. If there is any questions please feel free to ask. Thank you:)

Region Study: Shizuoka Tea

Japanese tea differs a lot by its regions. Of course all teas in Japan regardless of the region they all make wonderful teas. Depending on the region the taste and there character will vary so understanding the regions is also a very important factor for understanding Japanese teas.Today I would like to talk about the Shizuoka Prefecture. Shizuoka Prefecture is the largest tea plantation area in Japan, producing 40% of the teas that are made in Japan. It is considered one of the “Big Threes(1.Uji Kyoto, 2.Shizuoka, and 3.Sayama)” in Japan. Kyoto is the place with the longest tea history and Shizuoka would be the next.

Start of Shizuoka Teas
Shizuoka tea started in 1214, when Buddhist Monk, Shouichi Kokushi, came back from China bringing back the seeds of teas. They have planted in the region called the Honyama, also called Ashikubo. So Ashikubo-cha is a famous tea in Japan that is considered the start of Shizuoka Teas.

8 Major Regions
Shizuoka has 8 major tea regions, each having its own character and specialty. We will not go over every region but would like to go over some that I personally think should be remembered at this time.The “Makinohara Area”, this area is considered the largest tea plantation area in Japan. Where ever you go all you see is Teas Teas and Teas!

History Of Japanese Tea - Part 1 -

Our farmers: Mr. Taruwaki

Usually in Japan, organic green tea is considered a little bitter than normal Japanese green tea. However, our organic green tea has a natural tea sweetness and a vegetative flavor that may taste even better than those normal Japanese green tea. That difference comes from simply the quality difference of the tea leaf, and the difference of tea leaf comes from the difference of the tea farms and farmers.Today I would like to give a simple introduction about our farmer, Mr. Taruwaki, that makes our teas difference from others.He is now over 60 years old and have been making teas for over 40 years. He has started organic plantation around 25 years ago and took him 5 years to make the very first small batch of organic green tea. It took another 5 years to go completely organic on this plantation.

Mr. Taruwaki’s tea farm is located in the remote Kawane region of Shizuoka Prefecture, which takes over 4-5 hours of driving from Tokyo. Due to its high elevation(2,000 feet), you will need to drive up the zig zag mountain roads to get to this place. This region is committed to pesticide-free plantation and not only teas but also other plantations such as vegetables are pesticide-free too.

Mr. Taruwaki’s farm is pesticide-free and does not even use organic pesticides. He had gone through many trial and errors with organic pesticides but came to a conclusion that it is the best not to use any pesticides at all. The key was to build a habitat on the farm in which not only pests can live but also insects that feed on the pests can thrive. Easy to say but it took him many many years to get reach to this conclusion and build this habitat!!  He makes his own organic fertilizer from scratch with rice bran, fish scrap, kelp, crab shells, and chicken feces. Also for water, Mr. Taruwaki brings spring water all the way from a nearby mountain due to its rich minerals.

Ways of enjoying powdered green tea

I am a big fan of loose leaf tea but of course, the most teas I drink are the powdered teas. The great part of powdered teas are there convenience and the incredible versatility. It can be made into Lattes or just simple nice teas and can be carried around anywhere. For that reason, I always change the ways I make my teas depending on the situation (time, place, mood, etc.). Today I would like to introduce my personal top three.

1. Thermos Green Teas at Office

 
One of the most convenient way to carry your teas around are the Thermos. I always use the thermos to bring my teas to my office. Especially in summer, I put organic green tea powder and water and just shake, then add ice to keep the teas nice and cold. Also sometimes I add a little Matcha (Especially the Sakura Komachi) with the teas to make the flavor more deeper…You should really try this:) This is really good.

*Check here to see details

 In addition to the pleasant taste, you can get plenty of antioxidants while working, and  also take in some caffeine to boost your concentration.

2. Authentic Matcha Style at Home

At home when I have time, I make my green teas by the Authentic Matcha Style using the bamboo whisk and the Matcha bowl. Although this is not Matcha, this green tea powder gives a thick foam on top providing a milky texture. This tastes totally different from the ordinary tea style where you mix with a spoon. Also Sakura Komachi (Matcha blended with Cherry Blossom Leaf) will be great too when made by the Authentic Matcha style.