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 'Create Your Own Personalized Flavor of Tea (This Month's Tea)'.
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How to Blend Konacha and Karigane
Many people who drink tea may find that they have their own individual preference for tea flavor. Some like their tea strong and astringent, while others may like a sweet, mellow flavor, or maybe a balance of both sweet and astringent. You may also find that certain flavors of tea pair well with different foods, or that you like one type of tea in winter and another in summer. It all depends on your individual preference. One way to create a flavor of tea, tailored to your own preference is by creating a blend of Konacha and Karigane, and then modifying the ratio, brewing time and perhaps water temperature.
Konacha is a natural byproduct of the traditional method of Japanese green tea production and thus it is an excellent value, much like Karigane. Especially high grade Konacha and Karigane sorted from highest grade Japanese tea have excellent flavor. It enhances and deepens the enjoyment of Konacha to blend Karigane with Konacha, because both flavors and brewing times are different despite the fact that both are teas of excellent value. Of course, both Konacha and Karigane should be sorted from high grade Japanese tea. For example, if you try Kukicha, which is made from stems and veins sorted from low grade Sencha and lower grade Konacha, it does not please the palate because the original tea source is neither excellent value nor flavor.
Ideal brewing times for Konacha and Karigane are different. Konacha brewing time is less than half that of Karigane. And the brewing time for Karigane is the same as typical Japanese green teas, Sencha or Gyokuro. So, you can enjoy the unique flavor with each infusion of Konacha. The first infusion flavor is relatively high proportion of Konacha, and the second and the third infusions are high proportion of Karigane. The tea will change in flavor with each brew.
To avoid too strong flavor, try brewing the first infusion for shorter time, similar to the Konacha brewing time. To brew rich flavor of Karigane fully, brew the second and the third infusion for longer time, similar to the Karigane brewing time.
We recommend blending Gyokuro Konacha with Gyokuro Karigane, and Sencha Konacha with Sencha Karigane.
For blending ratio, we recommend starting with 50%:50%. Then you can modify the ratio and brewing time until you find your ideal flavor. It is a unique method to tailor your tea to suit your own individual taste preference.
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| Tea leaves of Konacha |
Tea leaves of Karigane |
Water color of special blended tea is midway between Konacha and Karigane. |
We arranged three Konacha teas. They are the limited edition of 600 packages only available this early spring season.
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Gyokuro Konacha Super Premium is an excellent value. Because it is made from the specks and tiny tea leaves of only the highest quality Gyokuro, such as Gyokuro Pinnacle, Super Premium, Kuradashi Gyokuro Pinnacle, and Super Premium, you can have the finest quality for a fraction of the cost...
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Made from premium Gyokuro specks and tiny tea leaves, Gyokuro Konacha has a unique and delicately sweet flavor. Gyokuro Konacha is an excellent value. Because it is made from the specks and tiny tea leaves of only high quality Gyokuro...
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Made from premium Sencha specks and tiny tea leaves, Sencha Konacha has a unique and delicately sweet flavor. Sencha Konacha is an excellent value. Because it is made from the specks and tiny tea leaves of only high quality Sencha...
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"What is Konacha?" page: click here
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
We have been following the green tea sprouts from early spring when the tea trees put out their first new buds to the harvest of Shincha, the first tea of the year. Now, we bring you the latest breaking news and information from Hibiki-an's tea farm in Ujitawara in Kyoto!
Around March 28:
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Babbling of a brook melts your heart |
Cherry blossom buds on March 28 |
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| Proof of tea tree absorbing enough nutrients |
Tea sprouts as of March 28 |
Plum and camellia has been falling. Full-fledged spring is coming. |
Past the equinox (March 20th), sunlight has been getting strong rapidly, little birds started chirping their spring melodies, the babbling of a brook melts your heart, and insects come out of hiding and start to become active. We took photos of the cherry trees at our tea farm. The cherry blossoms at our farm in the lush valley surrounded by mountains will start to bloom in a week or a little later.
Our tea trees were fed a generous amount of fertilizer last autumn. Then they were fed fertilizer again at the end of February to the middle of March. The old tea leaves have become a deep burnished green color. This is proof that the tea trees are absorbing enough nutrients from the fertilizer. It takes a few weeks to a month after being fertilized for the tea trees to fully absorb and then begin utilizing the nutrients. If new buds grow before the tea tree has finished fully absorbing the nutrients, then the taste of the tea leaves becomes less smooth and mellow.
Like the cherry trees, the tea sprouts have been steadily growing day by day. It is about five weeks or more until the start of the Shincha harvest.
Shincha teas:
Shincha (the first tea of the year) is harvested starting at the beginning
of May in Kyoto. We are planning to sell some limited edition Shincha teas
only available this Shincha harvest season. Celebrate our first tea harvest
of the year with Hibiki-an's Shincha and enjoy the remarkable fresh flavor,
which can only be experienced once every year! Please wait and see!
What is Shincha?: click here
Karigane is less expensive than tea leaves because it is a by-product. Even in Kyoto, known around the world as the center of Japanese green tea culture and production, it is difficult to find top grade Gyokuro Karigane.
We arranged a special Karigane tea, Gyokuro Karigane Super Premium. It
is the limited edition of 400 packages only available this early spring
season.
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(Out of Stock Soon) Gyokuro Karigane Super Premium is an excellent value. Because it is made from the stems and veins of the only highest-quality Gyokuro, such as Gyokuro Pinnacle and Kuradashi Gyokuro Pinnacle, you can have the quality of Premium for a fraction of the cost...
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"What is Karigane?" page: click here
We arranged two special Houjicha items, Houjicha Super Premium and Houjicha Karigane Super Premium. Each item is the limited edition of 400 packages only available this winter season.
Both teas are brighter in color and the rich flavor goes far beyond regular Houjicha and Houjicha Karigane. You are sure to delight in the extraordinary rich roasted flavor that lingers nicely in the mouth for a while.
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(Out of Stock Soon) To make this Houjicha Super Premium, we use only young sprouts. And a small amount of stems from the highest grade Matcha are added in order to create the unique noble aroma...
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(Out of Stock Soon) The stems contained in this tea are usually used for Sencha Karigane, not Houjicha Karigane. Stems from the highest grade Matcha are added in order to create the unique noble aroma...
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What is Houjicha?: click here
A Tip to Enjoy Houjicha: click here
We have arranged for 9 limited edition and 4 new tea ware items. The 9
limited edition items are all available only this spring and summer season.
The new and limited edition tea ware includes Yunomi (teacups), HOHIN (Teapot)
set, and SAMI (Tea spoon). New and limited edition Matcha Bowls will be
informed separately soon.
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Hohin is a type of Kyusu teapot without a handle and is used to brew only the highest grade of Uji tea. The design drawn is one of the most traditional and beautiful designs, called "Seikaiha"...
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GEKKA BIJIN means Selenicereus flower, also translated as Queen of the Night. The flower is painted elegantly, vividly, and intrepidly on the inside of this Yunomi. Tohan Kiln's unique works are highly appreciated and viewed with awe...
(Pair: click below)
[Limted] TOHAN - pair (GEKKA BIJIN / FUYOH): US$199.00
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FUYOH is one type of lotus flower, which is painted elegantly, vividly, and intrepidly inside of this teacup. Tohan Kiln's unique works are sustained by high level pottery and drawing techniques and various original elegant color glazes in over three hundred colors...
(Pair: click below)
[Limted] TOHAN - pair (GEKKA BIJIN / FUYOH): US$199.00
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This Yunomi creates a unique pleasant cooling sensation which is brought by Mr. Takemura's specialty, ash glaze. SHIZUKU of this name means drip in Japanese. To consider the value of this work, the price is quite reasonable...
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IROE of this name means colored paint, NEJI means twisting, and KOMON means traditional patterns. The S-curve lines carved from middle to base, which are quite beautiful, seem to twist around the Yunomi...
(Pair: click below)
[New] IROE - pair (NEJI KOMON / SHIPPOH): US$368.00
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IROE of this name means colored paint, and SHIPPOH means "seven treasures" which is a traditional Japanese auspicious pattern. Auspicious patterns, and SANSUI traditional landscape paintings are painted on twelve aspects on middle to base on side...
(Pair: click below)
[New] IROE - pair (NEJI KOMON / SHIPPOH): US$368.00
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This Yunomi is a long-selling favorite in Japan for more than 20 years. Turned upside down, each Yunomi looks like Mt. Fuji. SUSONO and MIHO are both famous views of Mt. Fuji. GOHIRA no SAKURA and SHIRAITO no TAKI are both very famous spots around Mt. Fuji...
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Porcelain tea cup, which has quite gentle and tender atmosphere like this SHINOGI MARU Yunomi, is very rare. Visual impression, hand and mouth feel, and so on are mysteriously quite gentle and tender...
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These are simple, plain, and refined Yunomi. The thin, lightweight porcelain enhances the good flavor of the tea. TOKUSA of this name is a traditional Japanese pattern, which is in the motif of the plant known as horsetail or Equisetum...
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Our Tea Scoop is very useful for measuring tea leaves from Chazutsu or other tea container and when placing tea leaves into the Kyusu teapot. The shape is simple and attractive. SAKURA cherry blossom is the most loved flower in Japan...
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YOHKAN sweet bean jelly is one of the most popular and classic confections
in Japan along with OHIGASHI candy and OKAKI rice cracker. Indeed AN bean
jam, which is the main ingredient of YOHKAN, is the most essential ingredient
of WAGASHI traditional Japanese confections. It has a unique texture and
sweetness which pairs well with all kinds of Japanese tea.
We developed four flavors of YOHKAN with an established AN bean jam manufacturer
located in Kyoto. Our four flavors of YOHKAN are manufactured with careful
attention to quality and domestic ingredients...
(visit the shopping page: click here)
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| Starting from the left to right, OHSHIMA, OGURA, YUZU, and UME |
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Wrapped and decorated with WASHI Japanese paper |
YOHKAN (sweet bean jelly) US$17.50 shopping page: click here
Japanese Snacks / Candy shopping category: 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
![[Limited] Gyokuro Karigane Super Premium (40g/1.41oz): US$22.00](http://www.hibiki-an.com/readings/images/ThisMonthTea/Karigane/GyokuroKariganeSP.jpg)
