Hatchet Vs. Genitals.

The Awa-cha

It's been a long time, but I come with my rare Bancha regional (see here to understand what is meant here Bancha ). A few months ago, I presented the goishi -cha, a black tea (in the sense of the term Sinology), ie a post-fermented tea 后 醗 酵 茶, from the island of Shikoku.

With the Awa- Bancha 阿波 番 茶, we remain in Shikoku, but this time in the department of Tokushima 徳 岛.

The leaves serve to make this tea is harvested in summer, between mid-July and late July. At this time of year the sun is high, humidity is stifling. However, picking the leaves is rather physical work. Here, we simply do not like for purposes sencha youth grow that link above the shrubs, no one is pulling out the leaves, even the big, strong, large branches attached to the bottom of the tea plant. Thus, it is apparently not uncommon there, on the occasion of gathering the install tarps over the trees, which will act as umbrella-flush during this work.

Then, to stop oxidation, the leaves are boiled for 30 or 40 min. They are drained, then packed into a bowl. Is placed over a plastic tarp (formerly musa leaves), straw, and finally a cover on which imposes heavy stones. Finally, poured "juice" obtained during the "cook" the leaves. And the whole is left intact for 7-10 days. Why? The astute reader will understand, this time it is still fermenting the tea leaves. The Awa- Bancha is another example of post-fermented tea. The difference is noted with goishi -cha, is the mode fermentation. Here, with the Awa- Bancha , there is only one phase of fermentation, secure, through the action of bacteria. In the case of goishi -cha, if fermented by bacteria in a closed environment, there is also a phase of fermentation in open, under the action of fungi.


After fermentation, the leaves are placed on mats and dried in the sun.
is the result:

Large leaves dry and above all stink! While goishi cha reassure me by a nostalgic smell that reminded me of the leaves on the sidewalk of the Boulevard Carnot, near my grandmother, the Awa- Bancha transported me with amazement in the chemistry lab college!
Brew, the goishi cha offers some interesting scents that sometimes remind the port, but the awa-Bancha persists in the chemistry room ...... The taste itself liquor yellow-brown, with the same acidity as in the goishi -cha, is not completely unpleasant, but but the stench that emanates is definitely not for me!
The author of the exciting "The Japanese Bancha and" Yoichiro Nakamura (see here ), Compared the smell to that of "Myan" (?) Or "lahpet" dish of fermented tea consumed in Myanmar and Thailand.

Thousands of miles separate the "Myan" of awa-Bancha , but in spite of different consumption patterns, their manufacturing method is actually very close. Eat or drink, tea has spread in Asia through this type of product probably well before the luxurious teas clerics and aristocrats.

finally be noted that producers usually sell their entire crops to the consumer and regions that provide for the year. While speaking very local on-awa Bancha still consumed.