Japanese Green Tea: Aged, Roasted, Fermented
I’ve generally found all teas that include stems to be sweeter than ones without. It’s a great observation you’ve made.L.S.G.artapprentice wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 5:53 pmI just bought some hojicha to try out before I go for the finer varieties, turns out cold brewing in a yxing pot makes it taste quite sweet.
intresting.Baisao wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 8:03 pmI’ve generally found all teas that include stems to be sweeter than ones without. It’s a great observation you’ve made.L.S.G.artapprentice wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 5:53 pmI just bought some hojicha to try out before I go for the finer varieties, turns out cold brewing in a yxing pot makes it taste quite sweet.
Found an interesting passage from the thes du japon blog about a tea festival session on aged sencha:
https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... ival-2016/
Also his experience with some aged gyokuro;
https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... yo-tanabe/
https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... ival-2016/
In addition to the exhibitors, the festival offers many demonstrations (tradition related to tea in various countries, temoni-cha, etc.) and conferences and seminars. There was one that I wanted to see absolutely, concerning the “vintage” sencha.
If the idea of “hine-cha”, voluntarily aged tea is common and known in Uji, essentially for gyokuro and tencha (matcha), this very rarely exceeds storage for one to two years. Here, the samples of sencha presented in the examination method, two teas of Hon.yama and two of Tenryû, were each in their vintages of 2002, 2003 and 2004. Simple storage in sachets under nitrogen at 3 ° C. All Yabukita, for simple comparison.
This seminar presented the result of an experiment carried out voluntarily by two tea professionals since 2000. After two years, inevitably appears this characteristic odor of oxidized tea, outdated, called “hine-shu”. Yet by letting another two years pass, this smell begins to disappear, and even ends up completely disappearing. This is the first incredible conclusion for the Japanese tea professionals, while this “hine-shu” smell has always been synonymous of “end of life” for a tea. But there is another important point. For experiment, one of the teas (a 2003 Hon.yama) was part condition in 5Kg bag, and another part in 50g bags. This is the other conclusion: the tea preserved by 5 Kg, had very clearly this characteristic odor of oxidation, whereas stored by 50g, the same tea was always very good. It is thus conditioned in small quantities that one can obtain a long storage and Japanese steamed green tea “vintage”.
Nevertheless, it seems to me that it is really more adapted to speak of “vintage” than of “maturation” or “aging”, indeed, the teas appear always fresh and good, with many aromas, but with less body, very soft . In short, we must not wait for an evolution, a radical change.
One of the messages that could be heard then, an idea that I found particularly interesting is that under these conditions, these “vintage sencha”; Rather than becoming new products for tea merchants, become a new dimension for the consumers themselves. Storage in small packaging, 3 ° C, the refrigerator’s vegetable sieve does the trick (the temperature itself does not seem primordial, at room temperature the process is only faster, but the refrigerator keeps a constant temperature) : In clear, why not store a great tea for many years as one would do with a great wine? For example, a Tôbettô of the year of one marriage, open 10 years after to celebrate marriage anniversary ?
The unknown remains of course with which teas it will work or not? It is obvious that a quality tea, with very good drying is an indispensable condition.
Also his experience with some aged gyokuro;
https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... yo-tanabe/
Last edited by LeoFox on Thu Oct 06, 2022 5:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Not strictly a green but- am digging into a bag of 2017 hon yama oolong made from koju cultivar from thes du japon.
https://www.thes-du-japon.com/index.php ... cts_id=492
My previous experience with a fresher version of the tea shocked me with its bitterness and fruity aromas when brewed according to the vendor ( boiling, 6g/100 ml)
viewtopic.php?p=34224#p34224
This tea really shines at a lower 70-80C temperature, offering the ideal levels of aromatics and thickness.
Now with this 5 year old, I did find the aromas to be attenuated but also it is much smoother - and I think I like it more now. According to TDJ, Japanese tea seems to have an awkward phase between 2-4 years during which a kind flat/rancid/oxidized aspect develops. But then after that, this goes down over time, yielding a fresh tasting tea with diminished aromatics but one that might be smoother.
viewtopic.php?p=39841#p39841
I feel this tea might have benefited from a few more years of storage- as it still has a touch of a rancid note in one infusion. However, otherwise, it seemed very fresh and nice - especially with regards to diminished bitterness. The aftertaste is also very very long lasting and string - longer and more powerful than I remember
https://www.thes-du-japon.com/index.php ... cts_id=492
My previous experience with a fresher version of the tea shocked me with its bitterness and fruity aromas when brewed according to the vendor ( boiling, 6g/100 ml)
viewtopic.php?p=34224#p34224
This tea really shines at a lower 70-80C temperature, offering the ideal levels of aromatics and thickness.
Now with this 5 year old, I did find the aromas to be attenuated but also it is much smoother - and I think I like it more now. According to TDJ, Japanese tea seems to have an awkward phase between 2-4 years during which a kind flat/rancid/oxidized aspect develops. But then after that, this goes down over time, yielding a fresh tasting tea with diminished aromatics but one that might be smoother.
viewtopic.php?p=39841#p39841
I feel this tea might have benefited from a few more years of storage- as it still has a touch of a rancid note in one infusion. However, otherwise, it seemed very fresh and nice - especially with regards to diminished bitterness. The aftertaste is also very very long lasting and string - longer and more powerful than I remember
More info on kuradashi tea:Victoria wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 1:15 amWell, there are various grades of Gyokuro for sure, even though the expense of shading for 45 days is already costly, then presorting only the finest leaves and then time needed for aging. Windowless traditional thick stone walled tea “Kura” ( 蔵 or 倉) warehouse or storehouse can still be found Japan (many are repurposed today as shops etc), they were cooler than outdoor temp and used to store and later age teas.
https://www.hibiki-an.com/sp/contents.php/cnID/7
This special autumn tea was called Kuradashi Tea, meaning tea taken out from the granary. Our Kuradashi Tea is aged in the granary for more than 1.5 years.
And more detailed info here
https://www.tobi-en.com/post/kuradashi-green-tea
For the aging process, nowadays, the leaves are usually put into foil bags, which are then placed in wooden boxes. The foil bags are usually vacuumed and sealed to protect the tea from the surrounding conditions. The boxes are placed in a large refrigerator where the temperature and humidity are carefully controlled. It is a delicate balance of allowing some exposure to oxygen but not too much. There has to be just the right amount of oxygen to gradually let the tea age. Further, the temperature has to be cool but not too cold to avoid condensation. The tea leaves can easily spoil, if not monitored closely...
The leaves are then left to age until autumn of the same year or even longer. Sometimes for up to two years...
Kuradashi tea was always a seasonal product and its history dates back to the early Edo period when preserving the aroma and flavor of the tea was much more difficult. It is said, that the habit of drinking intentionally aged green tea dates back to Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and his fondness for its mellow richness, the rich umami flavor, and the almost complete absence of astringency. At that time, Gyokuro and even the way how Sencha is produced today were not yet invented.
In the old days, the newly harvested leaves were partly processed and dried. They were then put into a tea jar which then was stored high in the mountains in a granary. There, the climate was ideal for storing and aging the tea. In fall, a ritual called Kuchikiri (口切) took place, where the tea jars filled with tea were opened. In the Japanese tea ceremony, it is also called the New Year of tea, and it is a very important event in the annual calendar of the tea ceremony.
And
https://www.teaformeplease.com/tea-nerd ... kuradashi/
Kuradashi tea leaves are put into unsealed foil bags placed inside wooden boxes stored in a special refrigerator. It is a delicate balance of allowing some exposure to oxygen but not too much. The temperature needs to be cool but not too cold to avoid condensation. As I’m sure you can imagine, this process could easily go wrong if not done properly.
I note a discrepancy in some descriptions talking about teas being completely sealed and others being more opened. My guess is sealed is the more modern approach.
One can also imagine modern and more open storage of aracha prior to finishing..
Some of the info above also seems to imply aging of the aracha or some other intermediate instead of finished product was done in the past. Perhaps it is still done now out of necessity in some places - like temples where they make the aracha and let it sit around until they can get a factory to finish it
Last edited by LeoFox on Fri Sep 08, 2023 9:56 am, edited 5 times in total.
Just moved a few posts from Gyokuro Recommendations to this topic on Aging, Roasting, Fermenting Green Teas. Thanks @LeoFox for your input.