Not only being a green tea production center of Japan, Shizuoka City is a place where many kinds of teas are collected from all over Japan. The Chasho’s sharp qualifying eyes evaluate the tea leaves and select the best ones from the large amount of collected Aracha.
Hiire is carefully done for each Aracha by considering its characteristic, season, and customer’s preference in favor. These tea leaves are then blended (Gogumi) by a Chasho and produced as a higher quality brand tea.
Top » Chasho's role
You can see the finishing process of Aracha through Chasho’s work.
1. Stocking
Aracha leaves produced throughout Japan are collected and sent to the tea market in Shizuoka.
They arrive in Shizuoka every day throughout the period of the first and second tea harvest.
First, a Chasho inspects and views all the collected Aracha leaves and selects the best quality ones to purchase.
The color and texture of the tea leaves, and the color, aroma and taste of extracted liquid are checked at this time.
After selecting Aracha leaves, the Chasho negotiates the price using an abacus. When the business arrangement is approved, both the buyer and seller clap their hands to end the negotiation.
They arrive in Shizuoka every day throughout the period of the first and second tea harvest.
First, a Chasho inspects and views all the collected Aracha leaves and selects the best quality ones to purchase.
The color and texture of the tea leaves, and the color, aroma and taste of extracted liquid are checked at this time.
After selecting Aracha leaves, the Chasho negotiates the price using an abacus. When the business arrangement is approved, both the buyer and seller clap their hands to end the negotiation.
nother method of stocking Aracha is done by “brokers."
Having a large tea farmer network, brokers play a role in selecting Aracha leaves to meet the Chashos’ needs before trading is started.
They use some special expressions only spoken among Chashos when they examine Aracha. These expressions are Konke, Teri, Maruyore, and Mirume which are used for a good evaluation, and Sasairo, Kusumi, Hiraore, and Kowaba which are for a poor evaluation.
To keep its quality high, Arachas are stocked and preserved in a refrigerator.
Having a large tea farmer network, brokers play a role in selecting Aracha leaves to meet the Chashos’ needs before trading is started.
They use some special expressions only spoken among Chashos when they examine Aracha. These expressions are Konke, Teri, Maruyore, and Mirume which are used for a good evaluation, and Sasairo, Kusumi, Hiraore, and Kowaba which are for a poor evaluation.
To keep its quality high, Arachas are stocked and preserved in a refrigerator.
2. Finishing Process
A lot of new technologies have been introduced, and good quality teas are being produced using these new ideas.
The main part of the finishing process is ‘assorting.’
By vibrating sieving, tea leaves are assorted according to the thickness.
Then by rotating sieving, they are assorted by the length.
Long tea leaves are folded at the same length.
The main part of the finishing process is ‘assorting.’
By vibrating sieving, tea leaves are assorted according to the thickness.
Then by rotating sieving, they are assorted by the length.
Long tea leaves are folded at the same length.
Powders are assorted by using the wind, and stems are assorted by using a light and static electricity.
This assorting process is done to smooth the Hiire process after this.
Then the assorted tea leaves are classified as Kukicha, Konacha, Gacha, etc. and sold.
This assorting process is done to smooth the Hiire process after this.
Then the assorted tea leaves are classified as Kukicha, Konacha, Gacha, etc. and sold.
Each kind of tea are seperately taken through drying and Hiire process.
In this process, the moisture of the tea is decreased up to about 3%.
This produces a special aroma and improves the flavor.
In this process, the moisture of the tea is decreased up to about 3%.
This produces a special aroma and improves the flavor.
The taste and aroma produced in the Hiire process are influenced by many elements including the feature of the raw material and the weather on the manufactured day.
It takes at least ten years to acquire the Hiire technique, which is done only by a Chasho.
It takes at least ten years to acquire the Hiire technique, which is done only by a Chasho.
Gogumi (Blending)
Gogumi is a technique to finish up the tea in an original taste and aroma by combining several kinds of tea leaves according to their types or the production locations. Genmaicha is produced by blending the rice which is roasted in this process. Hiire and Gogumi are done according to customers’ preferences. The finished tea is separated into small bags and packed with nitrogen to prevent oxidation.
Gyokuro
Gyokuro and Matcha are raised without direct sunlight in a covered tea garden.
The tea garden is covered for 3 to 4 weeks with a straw or black screen, and each leaf is picked carefully by hand.
Gyokuro and Matcha leaves raised under a sun shelter have a darker green color compared with Sencha leaves. They contain a lot of amino acid which is the key element in its excellent flavor.
The smell is like seaweed called "Oika (meaning covered aroma).”
The manufacturing process of Gyokuro is the same as that of Sencha.
The tea garden is covered for 3 to 4 weeks with a straw or black screen, and each leaf is picked carefully by hand.
Gyokuro and Matcha leaves raised under a sun shelter have a darker green color compared with Sencha leaves. They contain a lot of amino acid which is the key element in its excellent flavor.
The smell is like seaweed called "Oika (meaning covered aroma).”
The manufacturing process of Gyokuro is the same as that of Sencha.
Matcha
Match is made by steaming and blowing the picked tea leaves high up into the air about three times without rolling so that the moisture on the surface of the tea leaves is taken away.
Then it is dried in a brick furnace that is kept at a high temperature.
During the finishing process, the leaves are cut into small pieces and stalks and veins are removed to make Tencha - the raw material of Matcha.
Tencha is kept and ripened in the refrigerator during the summer before it is ground with a stone mill and changed into Matcha.
The particle of Matcha is 5 to 10 microns. The amount that can be ground with a stone mill in an hour is only about 40g. Only by this slow and careful process, smooth high quality Matcha taste can be produced.
Then it is dried in a brick furnace that is kept at a high temperature.
During the finishing process, the leaves are cut into small pieces and stalks and veins are removed to make Tencha - the raw material of Matcha.
Tencha is kept and ripened in the refrigerator during the summer before it is ground with a stone mill and changed into Matcha.
The particle of Matcha is 5 to 10 microns. The amount that can be ground with a stone mill in an hour is only about 40g. Only by this slow and careful process, smooth high quality Matcha taste can be produced.
Hojicha
The leaves of Hojicha are rasted in a heated boiler.
First, the size of Aracha leaves is arranged to prevent the leaves from having irregular burned colors.
Next, the leaves are cooled and dried. Usually Aracha leaves contain approximately 5% of moisture, but the moisture is decreased to around 1% in this process.
Then Aracha leaves are put into a drum boiler with small ceramic pieces at a temperature of 300 degrees.
After roasting for 30 seconds in the high temperature boiler, the puffy golden colored tea leaves are taken out yielding a fantastic smell.
Finally, the leaves are packed quickly so as not to let this smell dissipate.
By roasting tea leaves quickly at a high temperature, the bitterness is softened, sweetness is increased, and a fragrant flavor is born.
The wicks of tea leaves are softened by roasting so that they can easily be bent with fingers.
It is a traditional Japanese manufacturing method to use the far-infrared radiation generated from ceramics.
First, the size of Aracha leaves is arranged to prevent the leaves from having irregular burned colors.
Next, the leaves are cooled and dried. Usually Aracha leaves contain approximately 5% of moisture, but the moisture is decreased to around 1% in this process.
Then Aracha leaves are put into a drum boiler with small ceramic pieces at a temperature of 300 degrees.
After roasting for 30 seconds in the high temperature boiler, the puffy golden colored tea leaves are taken out yielding a fantastic smell.
Finally, the leaves are packed quickly so as not to let this smell dissipate.
By roasting tea leaves quickly at a high temperature, the bitterness is softened, sweetness is increased, and a fragrant flavor is born.
The wicks of tea leaves are softened by roasting so that they can easily be bent with fingers.
It is a traditional Japanese manufacturing method to use the far-infrared radiation generated from ceramics.
Experienced Chasho’s techniques make delicate differences in the taste of tea.
It is possible through the extensie experience of the Chasho.
It is possible through the extensie experience of the Chasho.
