Special features in location, cultivation and processing
The Terroir
Tamba, in the north of Hyōgo Prefecture, lies in a basin surrounded by mountain ranges, and this geography shapes everything that grows there. The differences between daytime and night-time temperatures are pronounced, giving rise to a dense morning mist known locally by its own name: Tamba-giri, the mist of Tamba. Even during dry periods, it provides the plants with moisture and is considered one of the reasons why the region is home to so many celebrated specialities, from black Tamba soybeans and Dainagon azuki beans to Tamba chestnuts.
Less widely known, but historically no less significant, is Tamba’s role in the history of Japanese tea. The Shoku Nihon Kōki records that in 815 the provinces of Kinai, Ōmi, Tamba and Harima were required to supply tea to the Imperial Court each year. This makes Tamba one of Japan’s oldest tea-growing regions, while at the same time placing it far from today’s major centres of tea production, such as Uji, Shizuoka and Kagoshima.
The tea fields lie at elevations of 200 to 300 metres on steep hillsides. Alongside the modern Yabukita cultivar grow Zairai bushes – plants propagated from seed and belonging to the old local Tamba variety. Their yields are considerably lower, but their roots reach deep into the soil, allowing them to absorb more minerals.
Harvest and Production
The leaves come from the first through to the third picking and therefore predominantly from the later harvests of the year, when they are larger, more robust and more substantial. After harvesting, they are not mechanically dried but dried naturally in the sun, a process known in Japanese as Tenpi-boshi. The leaves dry slowly and gently, laying the foundations for the deep natural sweetness that later distinguishes this tea.
The leaves are then allowed to rest before being roasted in an iron kettle. This roasting is the crucial test. Too much heat burns away the sweetness and leaves little but smoke. Here, the leaves are roasted slowly and at a moderate heat, which is why, despite their dark appearance, they never taste over-roasted. Instead, the tea develops an unusual finesse and a delicate note of vanilla. The roasting also reduces much of the caffeine, which is why the tea farmer in Japan expressly recommends this tea for children as well as those who are sensitive to caffeine.
We also offer the same tea in its unroasted form as Sun-Dried Bancha Tamba. Here, the leaves remain unroasted, the liquor stays pale and the character is herbaceous and mineral. The same origin, the same sun – separated only by fire.
This tea comes 100% from the tea farm described above in Tamba and is sourced directly from the tea farmer.
