{"product_id":"g20j","title":"Motoyama Hebizuka Gyokuro","description":"\u003ca style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.hojotea.com\/pages\/brew-style-g\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\n\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cdiv style=\"padding: 15px 0; font-size: .9em; background-color:#291939; text-align: center;margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e How to brew tea (g) \u0026gt; \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; font-size: .9em; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 30px 10px 12.5px 10px;\"\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e Umami does not mean delicious\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The mainstream of Japanese tea today is tea that contains a lot of umami ingredients. The main component of umami is an amino acid called theanine, but umami does not necessarily mean delicious. Umami refers to the taste represented by monosodium glutamate, which is used in soup stock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Nitrogen fertilizer is necessary to increase the amount of amino acids contained in tea leaves. In tea fields where nitrogen fertilizer is applied, tea plants grow vigorously, but on the other hand, the amount of polyphenols and minerals, including catechins, decreases.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e In addition, tea that contains a lot of theanine has a weaker depth of flavor (richness and aftertaste), making the tea taste lighter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e The strong flavor of HOJO Japanese tea is its defining feature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eAt HOJO, we select teas that emphasize the richness of the tea, and we choose teas that are rich in catechins and minerals, rather than theanine. Teas that are rich in minerals are teas that are grown naturally without fertilizer or with limited fertilizer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Enjoy the sweet aftertaste that lingers in your throat when you drink the tea. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e Although it is a gyokuro tea, it has a floral aroma and a strong taste.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Honzan Hebizuka Gyokuro is a very rare type of gyokuro made at an altitude of about 800m deep in Honzan, a region known as the birthplace of high-quality sencha tea used by the Tokugawa family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Cultivating the tea at high altitude dramatically increases the amount of minerals contained in the tea leaves, giving the tea a strong, smooth taste when drunk. Furthermore, by incorporating a withering process, you can enjoy a floral aroma, even though it is gyokuro.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e This is a very innovative gyokuro in terms of both quality and individuality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e When it comes to Gyokuro, three areas are well known in Japan: Uji in Kyoto, Okabe in Shizuoka, and Yame in Fukuoka. Although these areas are all hilly regions, the altitude is generally not high.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Honzan Hebizuka Gyokuro does not fall into any of the three areas mentioned above. It is a Shizuoka Honzan Gyokuro, which is extremely rare in the tea industry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \"Honzan\" in the origin of Honzan Hebizuka Gyokuro refers to tea grown in tea plantations located in the Abe River basin. It is a prestigious tea producing area known for producing high-quality sencha and Shogun tea supplied to Tokugawa Ieyasu, so even if you make sencha in the usual way, you can still produce the highest quality tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Furthermore, Hebizuka is located at an extremely high altitude of 800m, even among the Honyama tea producing areas. The high altitude means that winter comes early and spring arrives late.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eIn other words, compared to normal tea producing regions, the winter period is about two months longer, and as a result there is an extra dormant period, which dramatically increases the amount of minerals contained in the tea leaves, resulting in excellent quality tea with a very strong taste.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e It is extremely interesting that, despite being in an extremely favorable location that is ideal for producing ultra-high quality sencha, they choose to grow gyokuro instead, and it can be inferred that the producers have great confidence in the quality of their gyokuro.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e But that's not all that's attractive about Motoyama Hebizuka Gyokuro.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e First of all, Hebizuka Gyokuro is made using a very surprising method. The withering process, which is rare for Japanese tea, is carried out intentionally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The tea leaves are grown until they are slightly larger than the usual size for harvesting Gyokuro tea, and then picked. By growing the leaves a little larger, the amount of polyphenols in the tea leaves is intentionally increased.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eThis concept is the same as for picking oolong tea: in a sense, tea leaves picked too young tend to have weaker flavors due to a lack of organic compounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Tea leaves that have been harvested after intentionally increasing the amount of polyphenols undergo withering, even though they are green tea (and especially gyokuro).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Withering is a process that is synonymous with the making of oolong, white, and black teas. By withering the tea leaves for 24 hours in a well-ventilated shade, the enzymes in the tea leaves themselves promote ripening, and the sweet, flower-like aroma is instantly extracted from within the tea leaves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e In addition to the traditional seaweed-like aroma of gyokuro, Honyama Hebizuka Gyokuro combines a floral fragrance and a deep, smooth taste, giving it unprecedented, outstanding characteristics and a quality that rivals even the finest teas from overseas. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/C88CDC98-2CAF-4790-BDB4-266FFF92AA11.png?v=1615184862\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e History and Culture\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eThe Abe River is one of Japan's fastest and clearest rivers, and its basin is dotted with many steep slopes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e This area has a lot of fog and receives less sunlight than the plains. It also has a relatively high altitude compared to the tea plantations scattered throughout Shizuoka, so it has all the conditions necessary to produce high-quality tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e According to the \"Chasetsu Shusei,\" there are records that wild tea was growing in the Abe River basin during the Kamakura period, and it is believed that the Abe River basin was originally a suitable place to grow tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The origin of Motoyama tea is said to be, as described in \"Kokushi's Tea Plantings in Ashikubo, Suruga (present-day Ashikubo) (Tofukuji Chronicles),\" that in the Kamakura period, Shoichi Kokushi (a Zen monk from Tochizawa on the Warashina River, a tributary of the Abe River) visited Choraku-ji Temple in Kozuke Province in the second year of Kangen (1244), then returned to his hometown of Tochizawa, where he sowed tea seeds that he had brought back from Song China to Ashikubo village across the mountains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eIt was in 1211 that Eisai, who is known as the father of Japanese tea, wrote \"Kissa Yojoki\" (a book on how to drink tea). It can be said that Honyama tea began at the same time as the dawn of Japanese tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e After this, Suruga Province was described as a tea producing region in various books. And it was Tokugawa Ieyasu who raised the status of Honyama tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e To preserve the quality of the tea used in tea ceremonies, Ieyasu built a tea storehouse at Dainichi Pass upstream of the Abe River and stored many tea jars there. There are records that Motoyama tea was later presented to Edo Castle as official tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The person who named Motoyama tea was \"Kotaro Tsukiji\" from Kiyosawa village (now Kiyosawa Aimata) on the Warashina River. During the Meiji period, tea exports became popular and tea was produced all over Japan. To distinguish the traditional tea of ​​his hometown from other tea producing areas, he named it \"Motoyama tea (original tea)\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eCurrently, Shizuoka Prefecture boasts the largest tea production in Japan, and Chamachi in Shizuoka City, located on the banks of the Abe River, is a tea collection center where tea from all over Japan is gathered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The Honyama tea produced in the area is constantly selected with strict scrutiny to ensure that the tea is of the highest quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Hebizuka, which is located at a particularly high altitude and produces high-quality tea leaves, has a total of about 10 houses. However, only a few families actually grow tea. It is said that the technique of producing gyokuro in Hebizuka began in the generation of Mr. Nakamura's father.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e I have heard that Nakamura's father, who learned gyokuro production techniques in Okabe, also in the prefecture, took advantage of Hebizuka's high altitude to produce the Nakamura family's unique quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Furthermore, under the current Nakamura generation, the gyokuro has become even more refined, and a mysterious gyokuro with a subtle floral fragrance that can never be found anywhere else is being produced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003eProduction area\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e If you head north from Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, facing the Southern Alps towards Umegashima, you will encounter the Abe River and Warashina River. The area from these areas to the foot of the Southern Alps is collectively called the head temple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e In other words, Honyama tea generally refers to tea grown in the mountains near the foot of the Southern Alps in northern Shizuoka Prefecture. Hebizuka is located even further into the mountains, and it takes more than an hour by car from the center of Shizuoka City.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e As its name suggests, the area called Hebizuka is located in highland, with an altitude of about 800m, and the tea plantations are located at an altitude very close to the limit for tea growth in Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Due to the high altitude, winter comes early and spring arrives about a month later than in other regions, meaning that the effective winter period is about two months longer than in other regions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eThe short winter period is reflected in the intensity of the aftertaste felt in the back of the throat when drinking, which differs greatly between first-season tea harvested late in the high mountains and first-season tea harvested early in the lowlands. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e Another feature of Hebizuka\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e In fact, there is another feature of the \"Hebizuka.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n There is a reason why it is called Hebizuka, or snake's grave, as this area is full of rocks and there are many rocks rolling around in the tea plantation.\n\u003cp\u003e The rocks that dominate this region are not granite-type rocks, but are composed mainly of purple or red rocks, as in Yixing, Sado, and Iga, and the color indicates that iron is the main mineral component.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The geology of Hebizuka, which is extremely iron-rich and has limited fertilizer, slows down the growth of tea plants while promoting the absorption of minerals, making it the perfect environment for producing extremely high-quality tea. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/576ADCE3-71A7-4FB1-8DAB-CD4A506BF3EC.png?v=1615184908\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e Cultivars and Harvesting\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eHonzan Hebizuka Gyokuro is made using the \"Yabukita\" variety. Only the first flush is hand-picked in early May, and the second flush is not harvested.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The leaves are picked after sunrise to avoid morning dew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e If moisture from morning dew gets mixed in, only the dew will turn into hot water during the steaming process, which will destroy the cellular tissue of the tea leaves excessively and make it impossible to produce high-quality sencha.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Therefore, high-quality sencha is made from tea leaves that are harvested on sunny days. In the case of Honzan Hebizuka Gyokuro, the leaves are intentionally waited until they are slightly larger than the standard harvesting standards for sencha before being picked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eThis is due to the withering process that comes later, which is unique to Honyama Hebizuka Sencha. As the tea leaves grow, they produce more polyphenols, which then produce a floral flavor through withering. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/865C22DD-D48F-4BAF-AC87-1D04C5EC7622.png?v=1615184960\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e As with regular Gyokuro, the tea fields are covered with a roof. Because only a limited amount of sunlight reaches the tea fields, the tea leaves mutate to adapt to the environment by increasing their surface area and producing more chlorophyll, allowing them to photosynthesize efficiently even with less sunlight. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e About Gyokuro Cultivation\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e In the cultivation of Gyokuro, several dozen days before picking, the tea fields are covered with reed straw or black sheets. The shading rate is 65-70% for the first 7-10 days, and 97-98% thereafter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eIn fact, when the leaves absorb sunlight, some of the theanine (an amino acid) is broken down and synthesized into catechin. Therefore, shading the leaves partially inhibits the synthesis of catechin, and the theanine content increases relatively. In other words, the mellow flavor that is unique to Gyokuro is formed by shading the leaves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Theanine is the component that gives green tea its \"umami\" flavor. Tea with a high relative amount of theanine will have a mellow taste, while tea with a high relative amount of polyphenols such as catechins will have astringent or bitter flavor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e In addition, the main component of Gyokuro's distinctive green seaweed-like aroma is a substance called dimethyl sulfide, and the precursor to this dimethyl sulfide, methylmethionine sulfonium, also accumulates in the tea leaves when they are shaded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eThen, due to the heat applied during the subsequent gyokuro manufacturing process, it decomposes and produces dimethyl sulfide, which gives gyokuro its characteristic deep green color. Because the tea fields are covered, the tea leaves are unable to absorb enough light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e As a result, the tea leaves expand their surface area and produce more chlorophyll than usual for photosynthesis, which is why the gyokuro leaves turn a deep green color. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e About the processing of Motoyama Hebizuka Gyokuro\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The processing of Motoyama Hebizuka Gyokuro is as follows: \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e 1. Raw materials arrival\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Since it is basically a private tea farm, the tea picking is done mainly by his wife with the help of acquaintances in the neighborhood. The harvested tea leaves are transported to his home\/factory, where Nakamura works on them by hand. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e 2- Withering\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eThe tea leaves are spread out on a bamboo basket and left in a dark place with good ventilation and no humidity for 24 hours. This is the withering process, which is a characteristic of Hebizuka tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The withering process gradually accelerates enzymatic reactions in the tea leaves, producing a sweet aroma in the same way that fruit ripens. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/F55E07BE-347C-46A2-9DFD-7621B9A9B192.png?v=1615185024\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e 3-Steaming\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The raw leaves for gyokuro contain a lot of moisture and are very delicate, so they are steamed for a shorter time (about 20 seconds) than for sencha.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e By applying high-temperature steam evenly to the tea leaves in a short period of time, the tea leaves have a smooth texture and do not get wet with condensation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e By applying high-temperature saturated steam evenly in a short time, the tea leaves are left feeling smooth and do not get wet with condensation. This is the key to making delicious tea. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e 4- Cooling\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eThe tea leaves, which have become hot through steaming, are cooled and the moisture contained in the tea leaves is removed at the same time. By quickly removing the moist heat, secondary thermal deterioration is prevented. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e 5- Rough kneading\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The tea leaves are dried efficiently by stirring them in hot air, and then they are rolled to give them shape. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e 6- Twisting\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e This is the only process that does not use heat. A circular motion is performed while applying pressure to the tea leaves, dispersing the moisture evenly. Frictional heat is generated by rolling the tea leaves, so the leaves are periodically kneaded to dissipate the heat. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e 7-Medium kneading\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Using a rotary dryer, the tea leaves are gently kneaded while drying, uniformly distributing the moisture and twisting the leaves into smaller pieces. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e 8-Seijyu (sperm massage)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eThe straight forward and backward movements and the circular sideways movements create the needle-like strands that are characteristic of Sencha. It is important that each strand is shiny black and firm. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e 9- Drying\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e After the rolling process, the tea leaves still contain moisture, so they are dried to reduce the moisture content to about 5%. Tea that has been dried in this way is called \"aracha\".\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"お茶の専門店HOJO","offers":[{"title":"Can: 100g","offer_id":44231968522428,"sku":"g20jc","price":5541.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/1363\/4492\/files\/pho_300_g20.jpg?v=1749964909","url":"https:\/\/artoftea.tokyo\/en\/products\/g20j","provider":"The Art of Tea TOKYO","version":"1.0","type":"link"}