Tea: NaturaliTea Houjicha

Grower: The Kinezuka Family

Origin: Nakayama Village in Fujieda: Shizuoka, Japan

Cultivation: Natural (Organic, but no certification)

Harvest Date: Autumn 2014

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A popular Japanese tea, grown on the Kinezuka Family's all-natural farm. Headed by Toshiaki Kinezuka, NaturaliTea has been growing all-natural tea for 36 years in Nakayama Village in Shizuoka, Japan. They craft their houjicha from autumn-harvest leaves, roasting the leaves and stems to minimize bitterness and bring out savory, smoky flavors. The roasting process also reduces the amount of caffeine. While the high temperatures turn the tea brown, houjicha is actually a green tea.

The profile is perfect for the colder months. The warm, sweet flavors with savory undertones are reminiscent of salted caramel. The sweetness and lower caffeine content makes it popular for children, and it is also very easy to brew with very little bitterness.

Grown at an altitude of 350m (1150ft), with the Yabukita cultivar. This particular lot is made from premium leaf material, instead of the older, unsorted leaf material that is typical of houjicha. The result is a sweeter tea with more endurance in the steepings.

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Recommended Brewing Instructions: Use 2tsp (~4g) of leaves per 4oz (250ml) of water.
Brew for 1-2 minutes.

- 195F for a soft, smooth profile with sweet flavors and roasty-savory undertones.

- 205F for a more robust profile with sweet-roasted flavors and notes of salted caramel.