Deep dive into the charms of Chiran tea! The world of exquisite green tea born in Kagoshima

Introduction

Chiran tea is a type of Japanese tea produced in Chiran Town, Minamikyushu City, Kagoshima Prefecture.

The tea brands "Chiran Tea", "Ei Tea" and "Kawabe Tea" were once independent and were unified under one name. It is now ranked number one in Japan in terms of production volume per municipality. It has also been recognized for its high quality, having frequently won the "Production Area Award" and "Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award" at tea tasting events.

The History of Chiran Tea

There is a legend that tea cultivation in Chiran began in the Temino area in the northern mountain region during the Kamakura period, suggesting that the tea culture has existed since ancient times. However, it was not until the Meiji period that full-scale cultivation began.

It is said that in 1878, villagers started cultivating the mountains and fields that were transferred to them by the Sata clan, who ruled this area as a branch of the Shimazu clan in 1868. After that, from the early Showa period onwards, the entire village expanded tea production, and Chiran tea developed into a tea representative of Kagoshima Prefecture.

Characteristics of Chiran tea

1. Chiran tea with its many varieties

Minamikyushu City, located at the southernmost tip of the Kyushu region, takes advantage of its well-drained, fertile soil created by the volcanic ash of Sakurajima and its warm climate to cultivate more varieties of tea than other tea-producing regions.

The most commonly grown variety is Yutaka Midori, which is well suited to the warm climate of Minamikyushu City and is characterized by its deep green color, gentle sweetness, and mellow, rich flavor.

In addition to the common varieties, Yabukita, Asatsuyu, Asano, Okumidori and many others are cultivated. Despite the large number of varieties, the unique flavour and taste of each variety can be fully brought out thanks to the climate of southern Kyushu, which is ideal for tea cultivation, and the high level of technique that has been cultivated over nearly 400 years.

2. Combinations are common

In Minamikyushu, where a wide variety of tea varieties are cultivated, there are cases where only a single variety is cultivated, but it is common to have "blended tea" that is a blend of several tea leaves. By combining a variety of carefully selected tea leaves, Chiran tea with an even more delicious flavor is created.

Not only do the blends differ for each product, but the mixing ratios and roasting conditions also vary depending on the tea manufacturer, so you can enjoy a variety of flavors and tastes within Chiran tea.

3. Covered cultivation to bring out the flavor

Most of the first-flush Chiran tea is "kabuse tea."
Kabusecha is tea that is grown by covering the tea field with straw or cheesecloth for about a week (cover cultivation) to block out sunlight.

Because the new buds are grown without sunlight, the tea leaves are a deep green color and contain a lot of flavor with little astringency. This results in a well-balanced flavor that combines the mellowness of Gyokuro with the refreshing astringency of Sencha.

4. Most teas are deep-steamed, giving them a richer flavor.

Chiran tea is generally deep-steamed tea. Deep-steamed tea, as the name suggests, is tea that is steamed deeply. While regular sencha tea is steamed for about 30 seconds, Chiran tea is steamed for 60 to 180 seconds. By steaming the tea for a long time, the umami components in the tea leaves are not easily destroyed, and a mellow sweetness and richness are brought out.

Most of the tea leaves are slightly powdery and very small, but that is one of the characteristics of deep-steamed tea. Because the leaves are so fine, the water that is brewed is a beautiful deep green, and the nutrients in the tea are also more easily extracted.

summary

What do you think? Chiran tea has been highly praised nationwide, having won first place in the Sencha category at the National Tea Competition for two consecutive years.

Chiran tea has become the brand tea with the highest production volume in Japan, and those involved in the tea industry are working together to produce better tea, including actively engaging in organic cultivation.

Chiran tea is said to be easy for anyone to drink because it has a strong sweetness and no strong flavor. If you have never tried it, you should definitely give it a try.