[OKUTOMI TEA] Withered Sencha Yumewakaba Loose Leaf

SHINCHA 2024 - Japanese first flush Spring Green Tea - tea that has just been harvested and its freshest - The best quality tea!
* Producer : Okutomi Tea Farm
* Origin : Sayama, Saitama - Japan
* Harvest : 2024 Shincha (first harvest of the year)
* Single cultivar (Yumewakaba ゆめわかば)
From 7-time Minister's Award Winning, 15th generation tea farmer Masahiro Okutomi (Okutomi Tea Garden, Sayama, Saitama), a single cultivar Sencha green tea that has been withered slightly for a few hours to impart a floral aroma.
This type of tea is known as Ichoucha - "withered tea" - and the processing technique is borrowed from Oolong tea processing. During withering (a few hours between harvest and before steaming), the leaves undergo a very slight amount enzymatic oxidization, the same process used to create oolong and black teas. Doing this adds floral notes to the leaf.
The Yumewakaba (ゆめわかば, dream young leaf) is a Japanese tea cultivar developed by the Saitama Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry Research Center.
Its yield at harvest and picking time are about the same as for the Yabukita cultivar.
History of Yumewakaba
In 1968, the Yabukita cultivar was crossed with a tea plant called Saitama number 9 (埼玉９号), which was selected from seedlings born naturally out of Yabukita seeds.
In 2006, Yumewakaba was registered as tea cultivar number 53.
Characteristics of Yumewakaba
This cultivar is resistant to cold weather in about the same degree as Yabukita.
Regarding diseases, it is strong against anthracnose but very weak against the mulberry scale.
The finished leaves have a better appearance than Yabukita, while the liquor’s quality is the same.
If the leaves go through an icho (slight withering) process, they gain an aroma similar to osmanthus, which is absent in other Japanese tea cultivars.
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Okutomi Tea Farm
15th generation tea farmer, Masahiro Okutomi, is based in Sayama and one of the most respected tea farmers in Japan for both his skill in cultivation and processing, particularly as a master of tea hand rolling.
Awards
7-time Minister's Award Winner (Minister Awards are given to the very top ranking tea among gold prize winners at official Japanese tea competitions). Tea competition gold prize winner 38 years in a row at various levels. 農林水産大臣賞7回、国内茶品評会38年連続一等入賞他
2008 平成20年度 第30 回FGTC サヤマ2008 　　1等
2009 平成21年度 第63 回全国茶品評会 普通煎茶4k の部　1等
2009 平成21年度 第37 回関東ブロック茶の共進会　 仕上げ茶の部 1等
2010 平成22年度 第38 回関東ブロック茶の共進会　 荒茶の部 1等
2010 平成22年度 彩の国さいたま第56 回お茶まつり狭山茶品評会 1等 農林水産大臣賞
2011 平成23年度 第33回FGTC サヤマ2011　 1等 農林水産大臣賞
2012 平成24年度 第40回関東ブロック茶の共進会　荒茶の部　 1等
2012 平成24年度 第40回関東ブロック茶の共進会　仕上茶の部　 1等
2012 平成24年度 英国GTA2012紅茶リーフティー部門 二つ星金賞
2013 平成25年度 第41回関東ブロック茶の共進会　荒茶の部　 1等
2013 平成25年度 彩の国さいたま第59回お茶まつり狭山茶品評会　1等
2013 平成25年度 英国GTA2013紅茶リーフティー部門 二つ星金賞
2014 平成26年度 第42回関東ブロック茶の共進会　荒茶の部　 1等
2014 平成26年度 英国GTA2014紅茶リーフティー部門 二つ星金賞
2015 平成27年度 第37回FGTC サヤマ2015　 1等 農林水産大臣賞
2016 平成28年度 第38回FGTC サヤマ2016　 1等
2017 平成29年度 第39回FGTC サヤマ2017　 1等 農林水産大臣賞
2017 平成29年度 仏国C’ est Bon le Japon