Fukamushi style sencha are steamed for longer (up to a minute) during the kill-green process which makes the tea thicker in texture and smoother in taste. The longer steaming means that the leaf becomes more fragile and breaks up during the rolling phase. While this may not look so great in the dry leaf, it produces a thick, cloudy and luminously vibrant green tea that will wow your senses.
This Fukamushi sencha is made from the Saeakari cultivar grown in the southern tip of Japan. This cultivar is relatively new to the market (about 20 years) and is made by crossing the Saemidori with the very rarely used Z1 cultivar. The taste is really balanced with savoury to sweet to citrus notes. It is expected that Saeakari will become a more and more popularly grown tea cultivar in Japan.
The Sencha is made from very early pickings in Kagoshima. This part of Japan has really become a wonderful area for tea production in recent years. It's proximity to the ocean gives the tea a certain sea-salt character and because it is a very southern region it produces earlier spring tea.
Learn more about Japanese Green tea and skip to 20:04 for an explanation about Fukamushi style tea:
Learn how to Ice Brew this tea:
AND my favourite way to brew this tea:
