Vera Bradley Lancaster Pa

Ureshino, part 1: kama iri-cha

Opportunity makes the thief, and I have just two teas that reflect the two facets of tea Ureshino 嬉 野. A -iri kama cha 釜 炒り 茶 and mushi-sei-cha tamaryoku 蒸し 製 玉 緑茶 .

Ureshino is a city department of Saga 佐贺 on the island of Kyushu. In 2009, Saga was the 10th in terms of acreage. It is far from the giant Shizuoka and Kagoshima.

Nevertheless, Saga boasts an ancient history in regard to tea in Japan, since it seems that the monk Eisai 栄 西, on his return from China in 1191 , planted a seed tea on Mount Sefuri 脊 振. It makes this place the oldest square in tea culture in Japan. Also, in 1440, a potter came from Ming China would sent a technique to cultivate tea. Recall that in the Ming Dynasty, China is developing the tea oxidation stopped by heating in a frying pan, tea leaves, which are infused into a tea (what we call it today Japanese kama cha-iri).

In the early 16th century another potter Ming will disseminate this technique for making tea. Finally, in the early 17th, a man of the fief of Saga, Yoshimura 吉 村 兵卫 Shinbee would be invested in a commercial production of this tea again.

And indeed, today, who said Ureshino said .......... Hot Springs .......... hmmmm, let's take it backwards, which says -iri kama cha think in general Ureshino tea.

Even if a small area of production, and that many people have never heard Ureshino about tea is an important region in the history of tea in Japan. its geographical position putting it on the path of the monks return study trip to China, or as a destination of Chinese potters. The department of Saga is also the birthplace of Arita-yaki pottery 有 田 焼 and Imari-yaki 伊万 里 焼.

To end this long presentation, there are two technical heating -iri kama cha . The first is called "Ureshino" where the leaves are heated and mixed in a large skillet inclined at 45 degrees. The second is called "Aoyanagi" 青 柳, and involves a large skillet to the horizontal. This is the technique used in the departments of Miyazaki and Kumamoto. She leaves thinking less specialized production, since such an instrument could be used for anything else, whereas in the case of technical Ureshino, the pan can hardly inclined to use something else. It is found naturally in the department of Saga, but also of Nagasaki. Moreover, the term tea Ureshino ( Ureshino-cha 嬉 野 茶) denotes the teas produced in the department of Saga, but also those produced in the department Waterfront Nagasaki. It must be said that over 80% of tea produced in Nagasaki (11th overall) in the eastern region Higashi Sonogi 东 彼 杵, just across the border that separates the two departments in the south, some miles Ureshino . This is the same region, and this decision has nothing to abuse.

Let us turn to facts, -iri kama cha interests me today. Some time ago, I mentioned a splendid -iri kama cha , who had pushed for such re-evaluated. Others have confirmed since in this way. They were from either the department or that of Miyazaki Kagoshima. We stay on Kyushu, but not Ureshino, whose name is yet symbolic of this type of tea.

But now there a few days, an exhibition of pottery from Kyushu pushes me on the top floor of a department store near my workplace. Nothing too exciting, however, there was a tea stand Ureshino. I direct myself without hesitation. Many genres represented, and therefore, the kama-iri ! Knowing that there is the worst and the best with these teas, my choice rests on the more expensive, 1575 Yen, cheap in absolute terms, but rather expensive for this type of product, more than those who have feasted in recent months.

Touch through the packet does not however give me a good feeling is rough, bulky (ie that this tea is light), and I recall with concern the unfortunate experiences of distant in -iri kama cha . But nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The opening of the bag, however, confirms my fears. It is far from my recent discoveries leaves relatively pretty, but dull in comparison to those I tasted recently. Always compared, the leaves are rolled clothing but lacks body.

Click here to compare

But there is more disappointing: the scent. Just a light scent, not strong, that reminds me of a poor quality baozhong bought at the airport in Taipei to liquidate my last coins. Again, it is far from the powerful scent of roasted chestnuts, along with a touch of evergreen, large-iri kama cha preceding the famous kama-ka 釜 香, characteristic of a good cha-iri kama .

Also, I do me no illusions as to the brewed tea. I had first tested at the shop with the means at hand, ie a teapot Tokoname-yaki Classic 300 cc. Its volume can not be any way to get what is such a tea whose scent should be the main attraction. Pass, leaving the tea benefit of the doubt.

So, re-test at home with a Chinese teapot that has become my official utensil for kama-iri , it works wonders (on hold while she teas Chinese!).

I put a lot of leaves, not too much water, 90 ° C. I let 50s.

According to the perfume, no doubt, but nothing great compared anyway. It's peaty, a bit spicy.

Given the large dose of leaves, the astringency is present, but nothing alarming, the liquor was the body, and it remains in the mouth a pleasant sweetness, no bitterness to report. It's not unpleasant, and I almost think that with a little less leaves, the point of view of taste, there was a tea rather satisfactory.

To conclude on this tea, I think it must be remembered that underlying this type of tea in Kyushu has a life similar to that of Hoji-cha, ie a tea daily, more for the scent to taste, which is drunk in large quantities, that are infused in hot water without special attention to the way. So with this in mind, this tea is more in the top of the basket, the scent is there, and the taste is surprisingly pleasant. Of course it supports absolutely no comparison with the teas mentioned above, but these are really exceptions, made by experts in the technical mastery rare. Tea today was probably made from sheets of very good quality, but then the art does not follow, is unable to bring out the famous kama-ka those good leaves. And in this way the resulting product is too expensive and we can only regret that it will not and we will re-evaluated this kind.

I give here a picture not so rosy in the department of Saga and Ureshino, but there are also many great things in this growing area, which I will honor the second part.