What is Aracha? Enjoy the original taste of tea leaves!
table of contents
What is Aracha?
Tea goes through several steps before it becomes the beautiful green tea we all know and love.
The first stage in the process is when "aracha" (rough tea) is produced.
Fresh tea leaves picked in the tea fields are first subjected to a steaming process called withering to prevent fermentation, and then repeatedly rolled and dried.
The product of these three processes (steaming, rolling, and drying) is called " aracha." The tea leaves are irregular in shape and size, and may contain other materials besides leaves.
The difference between Aracha and Sencha
The rough tea described above requires further processing to become the beautiful green tea or roasted green tea that we can easily purchase in stores.
Rough tea is transported to tea wholesalers and tea factories, where it is adjusted to the correct shape and size, and may be heated to help preserve it. It then goes through a process known as "finishing processing," which includes sorting, drying, and rolling, before it is finally reborn as the tea we drink.
This is the "sencha" that we often see in supermarkets. This is called "finished tea."
Through finishing processing, the crude tea is shaped and impurities are removed, making it more delicious, more attractive, and able to be stored for a longer period of time.
In other words, crude tea is the raw material for the tea we drink on a daily basis, and through further processing it is transformed into various types of tea.
Aracha tea that is hard to find
What did you think? Just as there are coarsely ground coffee beans, there is also a type of tea called "aracha" (rough tea).
However, unlike coarsely ground coffee beans, crude tea is not widely available.
As mentioned earlier, rough tea leaves come in all different shapes and sizes, and are mixed with stems and powder.
If it were just a matter of appearance, it might not be a big problem, but the moisture content is high at about 5%, so it cannot be stored for long as is.
For this reason, it is not often seen in supermarkets or other retail stores.
However, this tea has a surprisingly large number of fans, as it allows you to fully enjoy the rich, original flavor of the tea leaves.
The simple production method of just steaming and drying the fruit gives it a simple appearance, but the fresh aroma of freshly picked fruit fills your mouth.
Yamamotoyama's Recommendations
The "coarse-finished Sencha" sold by Yamamotoyama is finished at the tea factory, but it is "roughly finished" in such a way that the stems, powder, buds and willow fibers are left intact.
While eliminating the impurities of crude tea, it retains the original flavor of the tea leaves, which is a characteristic of crude tea.
It has a strong flavor, allowing you to enjoy the original taste and aroma of tea. Please try it once to experience its rich flavor.
