Dear Sir and Madam,
We at Hibiki-an THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your continued patronage and support.
We are pleased to offer useful information for your healthy life and continued
enjoyment of Japanese green tea. In this issue, we talk about 'This Month's Tea - Houjicha'.
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We would like you to rediscover the value of our Houjicha items for monthly
recommendation. You are sure to delight in the unique sweet and roasted
flavor of Houjicha. The flavor is very smooth and the aroma lingers nicely
for a while.
What is Houjicha?
The first three processing steps of Houjicha tea leaves are the same as for Sencha: 1) Steaming, 2) Drying and Crumpling, and 3) Shaping. But to make Houjicha, the tea goes through one special additional step: 4) Roasting.
Like Sencha, tea leaves for Houjicha are grown with fully-flooded sunlight, so that Houjicha contains beneficial Catechin. And since Houjicha is pan-roasted, it is very low in caffeine. In Japan, Houjicha is commonly given to babies and people who are sick because it is both nourishing and low in caffeine. Besides, Houjicha is perfect for iced tea. It will cool you on a sizzling hot day.
Hibiki-an uses only the highest grade (first harvested, or pruned after harvesting Shincha) tea leaves to make all of our Houjicha items. The finished product is a fresh roasted chestnut-brown color. The leaves are only lightly roasted to maximize the essential flavor of the tea leaves. The flavor is very smooth and the aroma lingers nicely for a while.
Unfortunately many tea companies use low grade tea leaves (second harvested, third harvested, pruned in autumn, etc.) to make their Houjicha. Other Houjicha (not ours!) is roasted too strongly and becomes a dark brown color, so the flavor is smoky and not smooth at all.
Also Houjicha items are all good affordable everyday tea and are favorite beverage of tea farmers all over Japan. Like "fresh roasted" coffee, Houjicha is also most flavorful just after roasting. Needless to say, all of our Houjicha items at Hibiki-an are fresh roasted, packaged just after roasting.
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Tea Color of Houjicha
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Tea leaves of Houjicha |
Tea leaves of Houjicha Karigane |
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| Roasting facility |
Tea leaves sending up smoke in the roasting facility |
Tea leaves just completed roasting |
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Houjicha, also called Bancha, is made by roasting Sencha tea leaves over high heat. It is a brown tea with a toasted nutty flavor, and is low in caffeine...
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Houjicha Karigane is made from the stems of high grade tea leaves and roasted in the same way as standard Houjicha. The flavor is deeply sweet and roasted, which is quite unique among Japanese tea...
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This Organic Houjicha is certified by Japanese administration. This, also called Bancha, is made by roasting Organic Sencha tea leaves over high heat. It is a brown tea with a toasted nutty flavor, and is low in caffeine...
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Each specially-designed nylon bag is filled with whole-leaf Houjicha, so you can enjoy the rich flavor of Houjicha in no time at all! Houjicha, also called Bancha, is made by roasting fresh green tea leaves over high heat. It is a brown tea with a toasted nutty flavor...
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We chose and combined four of our most unique and delightful teas to make this special set: Genmaicha, Genmaicha Matcha-iri, Houjicha, and Houjicha Karigane...
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"What is Houjicha?" page: click here
To enjoy Houjicha or Houjicha Karigane, there are three points to remember.
Houjicha / Houjicha Karigane is only half the weight of Sencha tea leaves; it is 50% lighter. So, please put about two times (2x) the cubical content of Houjicha or Houjicha Karigane tea leaves in the tea pot (Kyusu).
To extract the excellent nutty and smooth aroma from Houjicha, please brew the tea leaves in boiling water for a short time, 15 to 30 seconds.
Like "fresh roasted" coffee, Houjicha / Houjicha Karigane is also most flavorful just after roasting. Please purchase Houjicha packaged just after roasting. Needless to say, all of our Houjicha items at Hibiki-an are fresh roasted, specially packaged just after roasting.
All of our teas at Hibiki-an may be brewed three times with full flavor and excellent results, including our Houjicha.
(Brewing way for 2cups)
Tea leaves: 3 tablespoons (7-8g)
Water temperature: boiling water
Amount of water: 200ml (7.04fl oz)
Waiting time: 15 - 30sec.
Are you enjoying your green moments? Hibiki-an encourages those who love
to drink green tea. If you have any requests or questions regarding our
teas or services, please don't hesitate to contact us. We sincerely hope
that you enjoy genuine Hibiki-an Japanese green tea direct to you from
Kyoto, Japan.
Sincerely yours,
Atsushi Yasui
Blended Sencha is limited edition of just 600 packages each ONLY AVAILABLE this winter season.
Blended Sencha
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(Now Available: limited edition of 600 packages ONLY AVAILABLE this winter season)
Blended Sencha Super Premium is a blend of Ohiwase and Meiryoku breeds of green tea. These tea leaves are sprouts that are small and soft and not fully-grown... |
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(Now Available: limited edition of 600 packages ONLY AVAILABLE this winter season)
Blended Sencha Premium is a blend of Sencha and Gyokuro. This tea is composed of four breeds of green tea: Kanayamidori, Sayamakaori, Yabukita, and Okumidori... |
What is Blended Sencha?: click here
We would like you to rediscover the value of our Teabag items for Valentine's Day Gifts.
At Hibiki-an, we use only the highest quality tea leaves in our tea bags. Each specially-designed nylon bag is filled with whole-leaf tea, so you can enjoy the elegant flavor of genuine Japanese tea in no time at all. The individual tea bags are much larger than standard paper tea bags - over 2 x 2 inches in a unique pyramid shape.
We have designed our Teabag teas to brew quickly and easily in the shortest possible time, while still retaining the fullest flavor and aroma, even when brewed in a teacup and not a teapot. We finished each kind of tea leaf for our tea bags in a special way, so that they will brew easily with teacups in a very short time. Of course, like all our teas, our tea bags may be reused three times. Each infusion will have a unique flavor and aroma.
If you want a quick and easy way to enjoy genuine Japanese tea, our Teabag teas are perfect for you. And we are certain that it is also perfect for the office, taking along on a trip, and so on. Teabags are also a great way to introduce genuine Japanese tea to beginners who may not own a teapot!
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| We use only the highest quality tea leaves in our tea bags. |
Our Teabags allow enjoyment of genuine Japanese tea flavor anywhere. |
Teabags are also a great way to introduce genuine Japanese tea to beginners who may not own a teapot. |
"Tea Bags" shopping category: click here
This time, we introduce four Matcha Bowls from the series of Matcha Bowls
featuring SHOHEKIGA paintings of NIJO Castle.
NIJO Castle is not only a Japanese national treasure but also a world heritage site listed in 1994. All of the 954 paintings on FUSUMA sliding doors and murals called SHOHEKIGA at NIJO Castle are designated as nationally important cultural properties. The SHOHEKIGA paintings are from the KANO school, which was the largest and most significant school in the history of Japanese painting.
We, Hibiki-an and Zenshoh Yamaoka, who is the leading expert of paintings derived from masterpieces in the middle ages, cooperated and arranged a series of Matcha Bowls featuring SHOHEKIGA paintings of NIJO Castle.
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MATSU TAKA ZU was painted for the OHIROMA great hall, where is decorated with paintings that honored the SHOGUN emperor. When the DAIMYO vassal lords looked up to see the SHOGUN emperor, they felt as if the great pine tree arced above the SHOGUN emperor...
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KIKU ZU was painted for the KUROSHOIN rooms, where the SHOGUN emperor carried out everyday tasks with his followers, are decorated with relaxing, elegant, and gentle paintings of birds, flowers, trees, and so on in order to create an atmosphere of abundant fertility...
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CHIKURIN GUNKO ZU was painted for the west wing of TOHZAMURAI great entrance hall, where is decorated with strong, dynamic paintings in order to show the dignity of the SHOGUN emperor to DAIMYO vassal lords. DAIMYO vassal lords should have felt awed to see paintings of the tiger pride...
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ROGAN ZU was painted for the anterooms of the SHIKIDAI rooms, where are decorated with affable, kindly, and elegant paintings to cultivate a feeling of warm hospitality. This ROGAN ZU is popular because of the affable, kindly, and elegant atmosphere...
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Matcha Bowls featuring NIJO Castle KANO Paintings page: click here
It is said that Bamboo Charcoal works to give water a pure flavor. Indeed, Bamboo Charcoal is frequently used not only by tea connoisseurs but also at RYOH TEI high-class Japanese restaurants.
Bamboo Charcoal gives water a fine and fresh flavor, actually changing the composition of the water on a molecular level to reduce the size of the water cluster structures, add minerals, and remove impurities. It infuses the water with calcium, potassium and magnesium. One piece of Bamboo Charcoal may be used in this way for approximately 6 to 8 months. It depends on usage conditions.
Bamboo Charcoal can also absorb the chlorine smell and taste of tap water. For removing the smell and taste of chlorine, a piece of Bamboo Charcoal may be used for approximately 1 to 3 months.
Bamboo Charcoal is also frequently used as deodorizer for refrigerator or rooms. For removing the smell in refrigerator, 1 to 3 pieces of Bamboo Charcoal may be used for approximately 1 to 3 months. It can recover the function of absorbing smell 4 to 8 times by boiling and drying. Bamboo Charcoal can release organic substances from air holes by boiling and drying.
In Japan, Bamboo Charcoal powder is also taken internally (usually mixed into foods) for wellness and to improve digestion.
Tea connoisseurs understand that good water makes good tea. We believe this method of purifying and improving the water flavor is very simple and healthful. In addition, it supports our local tea farmers. Of course, the container, in which this Bamboo Charcoal is packaged, can be used for preserving tea leaves.
Bamboo Charcoal in Tea Container shopping page: click here
Bamboo Charcoal in Tea Container shopping page: click here
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Japanese Green Tea Hibiki-an
36 Shimonoto Yuyadani
Ujitawara, Kyoto 610-0221
Japan
http://www.hibiki-an.com
![[NIJO Castle KANO] MATSU TAKA ZU (by Zenshoh Yamaoka)](http://www.hibiki-an.com/images/upload/Matsutakazu_A01.jpg)
![[NIJO Castle KANO] KIKU ZU (by Zenshoh Yamaoka)](http://www.hibiki-an.com/images/upload/Kikuzu_A01.jpg)
![[NIJO Castle KANO] CHIKURIN GUNKO ZU (by Zenshoh Yamaoka)](http://www.hibiki-an.com/images/upload/Chikuringunkozu_A01.jpg)
![[NIJO Castle KANO] ROGAN ZU (by Zenshoh Yamaoka)](http://www.hibiki-an.com/images/upload/Roganzu_A01.jpg)
