Cultivars: Yabukita, Asatsuyu.
Harvest: April
Steaming: The Yabukita is an Asamushi tea, or lightly steamed. This results a leaf that is kept more intact than longer steaming, and therefore results in a clearer, liquid that extracts more slowly from the leaf for multiple steepings. This type of steaming is usually reserved for higher quality leaf.

Meanwhile the Asatsuyu leaf, known for its strong umami flavor, is steamed chumushi, or regular steaming. This adds a delicious umami flavor and aroma to the tea.

Steeping info

We recommend the warm water steeping method. Steep it in a small amount at low temperature to enjoy the umami flavors more distinctly like gyokuro, then again at higher temperatures to release more flavors.

1st Steeping

Tea: 5 grams. Time: 60 seconds. Water Temperature: 60˚C/140˚F degrees. Water Amount: 160 ml (2/3 cup).

2nd & 3rd Steeping

Much of your umami flavor was extracted in the first steeping. Use a short time (5-15 seconds), because the leaves are already primed to release flavor. Also use hotter water (80˚ - 90˚C / 176˚ - 194˚F) in order to extract the more bitter flavors.