![[Limited] Snacks / Candy](./images/seasonal_topics/Banner_Spring24.jpg "[Limited] Snacks / Candy")
Organic Shincha Harvest (Shincha News Flash)
- Around May ９: (Organic Shincha Harvest)
- Status of Shincha Teas: Now Available
Around May ９: (Organic Shincha Harvest)
 Tea sprouts just before harvest. |
 It is the perfect time for harvest. |
 Carefully trimmed in order to be neither too deep nor thin. |
 Tea leaves are harvested in turn. |
 If trimmed too deep, the quality would not be good. |
 If trimmed too thin, the yield would not be good. |
 After being trimmed, the tea trees take on a well-defined shape. |
 It is hard work to carry harvested tea sprouts. |
 It is important to place harvested tea sprouts in the shade in order to protect fresh tea sprouts from heat. |
 From a distance, the tea leaves have a dark green color after trimming. |
 Harvested leaves are dancing in the bag. |
 |
Above pictures are machine-trimmed harvest scene.
Organic Shincha Harvest:
The Shincha harvest of conventionally grown teas began about 10 days or 2 weeks ago. On the other hand, the Shincha harvest of organic tea began some days ago. Our organic teas are grown with only natural organic fertilizers, which work slowly. Therefore organic Shincha tea is generally harvested 7 to 10 days later than conventionally grown teas.
For excellent harmony of refreshing aroma and smooth taste of Shincha (Sencha), it is important to harvest tea sprouts at the perfect time. If too early, the yield amount would be too small. If too late, the flavor would be dull. Tea sprouts grow very quickly after the middle of May, so that the best harvest timing for Shincha (Sencha) spans just a few days. The harvest season is the busiest time of the year for farmers. Therefore, it is not so easy to harvest Shincha at precisely the right time.
Organic Sencha Premium is now available.
Rain in the Harvest Season:
In May, throughout the Shincha Harvest season, it often rains in Kyoto. During this time, the flavor an aroma of the tea leaves is deepened by the rain. Indeed, tea leaves harvested on the day after a rain are frequently deeper in flavor and aroma.
However, if tea leaves are harvested covered in rain drops, it ruins the quality of the tea. This low quality tea is called TSUYU-ME, meaning sprouts with rain drops. Besides, tea leaves grow quickly after the rain and easily grow too large to harvest. These are the reasons why rain in the harvest season bothers tea farmers.
And if it rains in the early stage of the harvest season, the tea leaves prices go up sharply. The amount of tea leaves harvested and placed on the market dramatically decreases because rain hampers the harvest.
Certainly, the rain in the harvest season is a great blessing and a hassle at the same time.
Organic Shincha Harvest:
The Shincha harvest of conventionally grown teas began about 10 days or 2 weeks ago. On the other hand, the Shincha harvest of organic tea began some days ago. Our organic teas are grown with only natural organic fertilizers, which work slowly. Therefore organic Shincha tea is generally harvested 7 to 10 days later than conventionally grown teas.
For excellent harmony of refreshing aroma and smooth taste of Shincha (Sencha), it is important to harvest tea sprouts at the perfect time. If too early, the yield amount would be too small. If too late, the flavor would be dull. Tea sprouts grow very quickly after the middle of May, so that the best harvest timing for Shincha (Sencha) spans just a few days. The harvest season is the busiest time of the year for farmers. Therefore, it is not so easy to harvest Shincha at precisely the right time.
Organic Sencha Premium is now available.
Rain in the Harvest Season:
In May, throughout the Shincha Harvest season, it often rains in Kyoto. During this time, the flavor an aroma of the tea leaves is deepened by the rain. Indeed, tea leaves harvested on the day after a rain are frequently deeper in flavor and aroma.
However, if tea leaves are harvested covered in rain drops, it ruins the quality of the tea. This low quality tea is called TSUYU-ME, meaning sprouts with rain drops. Besides, tea leaves grow quickly after the rain and easily grow too large to harvest. These are the reasons why rain in the harvest season bothers tea farmers.
And if it rains in the early stage of the harvest season, the tea leaves prices go up sharply. The amount of tea leaves harvested and placed on the market dramatically decreases because rain hampers the harvest.
Certainly, the rain in the harvest season is a great blessing and a hassle at the same time.
Status of Shincha Teas: Now Available
Shincha is Now Available
At last, the Shincha Harvest started here in the Uji region! Some of our Shincha items are now available.
We have arranged to add four limited edition Shincha items only available this Shincha harvest season, featuring some regular Sencha items with especially enjoyable Shincha flavor. And other Sencha regular items are planned to be replaced later by Shincha step by step.
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!
We have arranged to add four limited edition Shincha items only available this Shincha harvest season, featuring some regular Sencha items with especially enjoyable Shincha flavor. And other Sencha regular items are planned to be replaced later by Shincha step by step.
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!
Limited edition Shincha items
All items below are limited edition of 1,200 packages each ONLY AVAILABLE this spring harvest season. We have arranged various types of Shincha, which will be specially finished to enjoy Shincha's refreshing aroma and flavor. For more information regarding each item, please click on the links below. We hope you will enjoy the refreshing aroma and smooth flavor of each Shincha item!
[Limited] Shincha Traditional (80g/2.82oz): US$25.00 (Now Available)
These tea leaves are finished in the traditional Uji/Kyoto style. Therefore the astringent refreshing aroma and mellow flavor are prominent, and the harmony is excellent... |
[Limited] Shincha AOTE (80g/2.82oz): US$23.00 (Now Available)
With Shincha AOTE, the astringent refreshing aroma and bitter taste is moderated, the tea color is greener, and the taste is mellower... |
[Limited] Shincha Fukamushi (80g/2.82oz): US$21.00 (Now Available)
Saemidori breed brings us pleasure in the springtime, to consider the unique flavor and early-ripening. Enjoy the sweet and smooth taste unique to this tea, as well as the fresh aroma... |
[Limited] Farmers' Shincha (160g/5.64oz): US$25.00 (Now Available)
Enjoy the natural taste and refreshing aroma of this "Aracha" Shincha at an affordable price. "Aracha" is unprocessed tea that Japanese farmers have been enjoying for centuries... |
[Limited] Shincha Gyokuro (80g/2.82oz): US$23.00 (Now Available)
With our Shincha Gyokuro you can enjoy both the refreshing aroma of Shincha and the mellow smooth taste of Gyokuro in one cup of tea. In the tea industry, it is called "Kabuse Cha"... |
Regular Sencha items with especially enjoyable Shincha flavor
We recommed three regular items especially recommended to enjoy Shincha's remarkable refreshing aroma and fresh and smooth flavor!...
[Shincha!] Sencha Pinnacle (40g/1.41oz): US$28.00 (Now Available)
Sencha Pinnacle, which is the highest quality Sencha produced in Japan, is the same type of tea which has been presented to the Japanese emperor for many years. This tea is grown at the same tea farm with tea that had been presented to the Japanese Emperor, and harvested in the same way, picked by skilled hands... |
[Shincha!] Sencha Super Premium (40g/1.41oz): US$21.00 (Now Available)
This tea is grown at the same tea farm with tea that had been presented to the Japanese Emperor for many hundreds of years, and harvested in the same way, picked by skilled hands. With this special tea, you can enjoy the same Shincha flavor enjoyed by Japanese Emperors... |
[Shincha!] Organic Sencha Premium (100g/3.53oz): US$25.00 (Now Available)
Organic Sencha's harvest generally starts 7 to 10 days later than conventional grown Sencha. The feature of the flavor is very simple and traditional. We imagine that the Shincha flavor enjoyed hundreds of years ago in historical Japan was just like this. Would you enjoy the simple Shincha flavor that was enjoyed long, long ago?... |
Newsletter Subscriptions
Sign up for our newsletter and you will get valuable information and knowledge related to Japanese green tea. They will surely enhance your green moments. The topics include;
- Information on our new items
- Special seasonal offers
- Health facts on Japanese green tea
- Japanese tea history, art and culture
- Tips to enjoy Japanese tea even more
- Updates on this year's tea, Shincha, harvest
