Shincha 2023

Spring feelings in your cup!

Shincha - the "new tea" heralds the beginning of the tea year every spring. The first tea from the fine, particularly aromatic leaf tips, which are harvested in the subtropical climate of Kagoshima after a shading period of 7-10 days already in mid-April.

Depending on the tea cultivar used, the weather conditions, the time of harvest and the processing, new exciting tea experiences arise every year.

This year, however, it was particularly exciting: a late frost at the beginning of April severely affected some plants of the early cultivars, so that the harvest quantity here was significantly reduced. Until the first tasting, we were unsure how much this would show in the taste.

Fortunately, a total of 14 tea cultivars grow on the KEIKO organic farm, and our colleagues on site did a masterful job in determining the right harvest time, choosing the steaming intensity and the degree of drying, and last but not least, blending the teas.

For example, the cultivar Yume Kaori, which was severely depleted by frost, was supplemented for the first time this year by the award-winning cultivar Sae Midori for the Shincha Yume, and the whole thing was steamed a bit more than last time.

As a result, Shincha Yume 2023 not only got the typical dreamlike and unmistakable aroma of Yume Kaori (="dream aroma"), but also an even higher extract content and correspondingly more intense, deep green cup color due to the addition of Sae Midori (="clear green") and the strong steaming.

On the tongue, its velvety texture develops into a fruity-sweet delight with hints of white truffle that lingers in the mouth for a long time.

In order to capture the fresh aroma in the best possible way, Shincha is dried slightly lighter in the final processing step than is usually the case with Sencha. This is particularly evident in Shincha Yume with its fresh aracha notes.

We recommend brewing at around 60°C for a particularly rounded, floral aroma.

Cultivars:

· 70% Yume Kaori from the KEIKO organic farm in Kawanabe (Chiran).

· 30% Sae Midori from the Komaki brothers (Chiran)

The composition of Shincha Classic was also newly determined. Contained is now also here in addition to the cultivar Yutaka Midori a share of the cultivar Sae Midori. The combination results in a full-bodied, soft aroma with fine umami.

Kultivare:

· 70% Yutaka Midori from the KEIKO Biofarm in Kawanabe and from the Komaki brothers (Chiran)

· 30% Sae Midori von den Brüdern Komaki (Chiran)

Shincha Yakushima 2023 is once again made of 100% Yabukita cultivar from the Fujiwara family's organic tea garden on the southern Japanese island of Yakushima. Shincha Yakushima is only lightly steamed (asamushi) and has a pleasantly light-bodied, sweet-floral aroma that develops a delicate cherry note, especially in the later infusions.

Cultivar: 100% Yabukita from the organic pioneer Fujiwara from the island of Yakushima.

Aracha Shincha 2023 consists of the raw tea "Aracha" of the three cultivars:

· Yutaka Midori from KEIKO Organic Farm in Kawanabe (Chiran).

· Asanoka from the Komaki brothers (Chiran)

· Yabukita from KEIKO Organic Farm in Kawanabe (Chiran)

Aracha Shincha brings the unique green fresh ooika aroma of Aracha raw tea to Europe. With its wild, intensely green and grassy scent of the freshly harvested tea fields, it conjures the tea spring directly into our cups and is the closest to the original taste of the tea plant. This year it is again composed of three cultivars, perfectly matched with their different flavors and fragrances - grassy with a lively spiciness.

To bring out the fresh scent, the infusion temperature of 65 -70°C may be chosen a little higher here.

Preparing Shincha

Especially with high-quality green tea, the aroma can be influenced by even small variations in the preparation. Therefore, feel free to experiment to find the ideal preparation for you. Allow yourself and the tea the time to immerse yourself and absorb the nuances in the smells of the bag you have just opened, the freshly infused leaves and the tea, and consciously perceive the development of the taste from the first to the last infusion. - Even and especially when it tastes a little different than expected!

In general, we recommend an infusion temperature of 60 -70°C for Shincha - or even a cold infusion (Mizudashi). The sweet aromas, which the high theanine content gives to the early pluckings, are accentuated best in this way

KEIKO’s Tip: Try dosing a little stronger at the beginning. If the tea is too strong, you can easily correct this by adding a little more water afterwards. But if it is too weak, you may miss the best flavors!

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Aracha Shincha 2024 - Organic Japanese Green Tea

Aracha Shincha brings the uniquely green, fresh Ooika flavour of the Aracha raw tea to Europe. With its wild, intensely green and grassy scent of freshly harvested tea fields, it conjures up the tea spring directly in our cups and is the closest to the original flavour of the tea plant.Special Features Shincha (the ‘new tea’) is made from the first tender leaves of spring - a vintage tea from the first early plucking in April, which surprises with its fresh flavour every year. Aracha is a partially processed green tea, which is reflected in its original, natural flavour. When tasting the raw teas directly after harvesting, they are brewed in particularly high doses and hot in order to savour the special characteristics of the tea. The higher infusion temperature (around 70°C) also brings out the flavour of this tea particularly well - let yourself be whisked away to the tea gardens of Kagoshima with the intense grassy aroma of freshly steamed tea leaves! cultivars:Yutaka Midori from the KEIKO organic farm in Kawanabe (Chiran) Asanoka from the Komaki brothers (Minami-Satsuma) Yabukita from the KEIKO organic farm in Kawanabe (Chiran)This year's Aracha is again composed of three cultivars, which are perfectly matched with their different flavours and aromas - grassy with a lively spiciness. Like many KEIKO teas, this tea is an intensively steamed tea (Fukamushi-cha, 100 - 120 seconds steaming time). The gentle steaming opens the leaf pores and the extracts are released from the tea leaf into the water more easily and quickly. This can be recognised by the deep green tea colour in the cup and the yield of the tea. Early harvests such as Aracha Shincha also have a particularly high theanine content, which is noticeable in the sweet flavour. Aracha is not yet ‘sorted’ as a raw tea - it therefore still contains some larger leaves as well as very fine bits of the leaves. PreparationTo emphasise the fresh fragrance, the infusion temperature can be set a little higher at 65-75°C.. Intensely steamed early harvests are particularly suitable for cold infusions (mizudashi). Even with cold water, Shincha Classic develops a particularly silky texture and a refreshing clarity after just a few minutes of infusion. The sweet theanine notes also come into their own particularly well, as the bitter substances do not dissolve as much in cold water. Storage Please note that Shincha Aracha is a raw tea and less dried than all other KEIKO teas. Aracha should therefore be enjoyed fresh and not stored for too long - we have set the best before date for this tea at 6 months from production here in Diepholz; we store it frozen! We therefore recommend closing the bag tightly and storing it in a cool, dark place in the fridge or freezer to preserve the tea's valuable flavours and ingredients as much as possible.

Content: 0.05 kg (€420.00* / 1 kg)

Variants from €21.50*

€21.00*

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Shincha Yume 2024 - Organic Japanese Green Tea

A harmonious, multi-layered tea with a velvet-like soft texture, that develops into a fruity sweetness on the tongue. This year, we have once again refined the dream flavour of the Yume Kaori cultivar with the sweet note of the Sae Midori cultivar. Special features Shincha - the ‘new tea’ heralds the start of the tea year every spring. The first tea from the fine, particularly aromatic leaf tips, which are harvested in the subtropical climate of Kagoshima as early as mid-April. In order to capture the fresh flavour in the best possible way, shincha is dried a little lighter than usual for sencha in the final processing stage, giving the teas a special freshness that seems particularly pronounced in Shincha Yume. Cultivars: 70% Yume Kaori from the KEIKO organic farm in Kawanabe (Chiran) 30% Sae Midori from the Komaki brothers (Minami-Satsuma) Kabusecha is a green tea produced by shading the tea plants for a period of 7-10 days before harvesting, which results in a high content of chlorophyll and other active ingredients and a low level of bitterness. Their characteristic ‘shade flavour’ is called ‘ooika’. Early harvests such as Shincha Yume also have a particularly high theanine content, which is noticeable in the sweet flavour. Preparation We recommend an infusion temperature of around 60°C for a particularly round, flowery flavour. Leave the first infusion to infuse for about 1 minute. A few seconds are then enough to extract the flavour from the leaves. For the last infusion, you can increase the infusion time again to tease out all the flavour. If the tea still turns out stronger than desired, the flavour intensity can be slightly adjusted by adding a little more water. Deep steamed early harvests are particularly suitable for cold infusions (mizudashi). Even with cold water, Shincha Yume develops a particularly silky texture and a refreshing clarity of flavour after just 5 minutes of infusion. The sweet theanine notes also come into their own particularly well, as the bitter substances do not dissolve as much in cold water. Storage To preserve the tea's valuable flavours and ingredients as much as possible, please close the bag tightly and store it in a cool, dark place in the fridge or freezer.

Content: 0.05 kg (€640.00* / 1 kg)

€32.00*

Not available

Details

Shincha Classic 2024 - Organic Japanese Green Tea

The Yutaka Midori cultivar gives the Shincha Classic its familiar fresh green aroma and rich colour. The combination with a proportion of the exquisite cultivar Sae Midori results in a full-bodied, smooth flavour with fine umami, a light fruitiness and a subtle astringency. Special features Shincha - the ‘new tea’ heralds the start of the tea year every spring. The first tea from the fine, particularly aromatic leaf tips, which are harvested in the subtropical climate of Kagoshima as early as mid-April. In order to capture the fresh flavour in the best possible way, shincha is dried a little more lightly in the final processing stage than is usual for sencha. Cultivars:80% Yutaka Midori from the KEIKO organic farm in Kawanabe (Chiran) and from the Komaki brothers (Minami-Satsuma)20%Sae Midori from the Komaki brothers (Minami-Satsuma) Kabusecha is a green tea that is produced by shading the tea plants for 7-10 days before harvesting, which results in a high content of chlorophyll and other active ingredients and a low level of bitterness. Their characteristic ‘shade flavour’ is called ‘ooika’. Early harvests such as Shincha Yume also have a particularly high theanine content, which is noticeable in the sweet flavour. Preparation We recommend an infusion temperature of around 60-65°C. Allow the first infusion to infuse for about 1 minute. A few seconds are then enough to extract the flavour from the leaves. For the last infusion, you can increase the infusion time again to tease out all the flavour. If the tea still turns out stronger than desired, the flavour intensity can be slightly adjusted by adding a little more water. Deep steamed early harvests are particularly suitable for cold infusions (mizudashi). Even with cold water, Shincha Yume develops a particularly silky texture and a refreshing clarity of flavour after just 5 minutes of infusion. The sweet theanine notes also come into their own particularly well, as the bitter substances do not dissolve as much in cold water. Storage To preserve the tea's valuable flavours and ingredients as much as possible, please close the bag tightly and store it in a cool, dark place in the fridge or freezer.

Content: 0.05 kg (€430.00* / 1 kg)

€21.50*

Not available

Details

Shincha Sae Midori 2024 - Organic Japanese Green Tea

New in the KEIKO Shincha family: a sweet and aromatic Asamushi tea made from 100% Sae Midori with a silky-smooth sweetness, a full-bodied flavour with a long finish that is somewhat reminiscent of Gyokuro. Cultivation and processing Shincha - the ‘new tea’ heralds the start of the tea year every spring. The first tea from the fine, particularly aromatic leaf tips, which are harvested in the subtropical climate of Kagoshima as early as mid-April. Kabusecha is a green tea that is produced by shading the tea plants for 7-10 days before harvesting, which results in a high content of chlorophyll and other active ingredients and a low level of bitter substances. Their characteristic ‘shade flavour’ is called ‘ooika’. Early harvests such as Shincha Sae Midori also have a particularly high theanine content, which is noticeable in the sweet flavour and is particularly evident in the Sae Midori cultivar. Shincha Sae Midori is an asamushi tea, i.e. only lightly steamed. The leaves are therefore dark green, shiny and needle-shaped. The infusion is light green in the cup Preparation Due to the lower steaming, the tea extract dissolves somewhat more slowly than with intensively steamed teas - we recommend an infusion temperature of around 65°C and an infusion time of 70 seconds for the first infusion. For the second infusion, a brewing time of around 30 seconds is sufficient, after which it can be extended again. This tea also develops its wonderfully full flavour as a cold infusion after a slightly longer infusion time - the dosage can be increased depending on taste. Cultivar: 100% Sae Midori (Asamushi) from Yamaguchi-San in Satsuma-cho Storage To preserve the tea's valuable flavours and ingredients as much as possible, please close the bag tightly and store it in a cool, dark place in the fridge or freezer.

Content: 0.05 kg (€660.00* / 1 kg)

€33.00*

Not available

Details