What is Yabukita tea? What is the difference between production areas?
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- Shunpo Tea Garden | Q&A at Shunpo Chaen
- What is the Yabukita variety? What is the difference between production areas?
What is Yabukita tea? What is the difference between production areas?
This is because the taste of tea is created by the climate of the land.
Nearly 80% of Japanese tea is Yabukita variety!
At present, nearly 80% of the Japanese tea produced in Japan is of the “cultivar” named “Yabukita”.
It is often called "Yabukita tea", but there are different varieties of tea, just like rice.
Therefore, whether you like tea or not, it may actually be "Yabukita tea".
So why are there so many different tastes for the same variety?
Because the taste of tea is created by the climate of the land.
Even if the same Yabukita variety is grown in Shizuoka, the taste of Yame in Fukuoka will change greatly depending on the soil and climate, and the way the farmers grow the tea will also make a big difference.
Two major production areas of Japanese tea: Shizuoka and Kagoshima, and fragrant Fukuoka Yame
Currently, the two major production areas of Japanese tea are Shizuoka Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture. About 40% of the total is manufactured in Shizuoka Prefecture, and nearly 20% is manufactured in Kagoshima Prefecture. And although the production volume is small, we have Fukuoka Yame tea, which produces fragrant tea.
In Shizuoka Prefecture, nearly 80% of them produce the "Yabukita variety". And as a feature of the production method, "outdoor cultivation" is the center.
Kagoshima Kabuse cultivation | Shizuoka outdoor cultivation |
Fukuoka Yame Kabuse Cultivation |
In Kagoshima Prefecture, 50% of the production is the Yabukita variety, followed by other varieties such as the Yutakamidori variety and the Asatsuyu variety. Yame is the No. 1 production area for gyokuro, so Kabusecha is the main product.
Even if the variety is the same, the taste of the tea is different between “outdoor cultivation” and “covered cultivation”.
There are also differences in the way tea is made in each production area, and the taste is also different.
It is recommended to actually drink and compare the characteristics of the taste of each production area.
Which production area is "Yabukita tea"? Or, which production area is the tea other than the Yabukita variety?
Try different flavors and find out what you like.
Of course, if you come to Shunfang Tea Garden and let us know your taste preferences, we will work with you to find the tea that suits your taste!