Shizuoka Sencha "Hatsumi"

From the first harvest and grown in Shizuoka, a first rate green tea which is steamed halfway between normal (chu) and deep steaming (fukamushi). Harvested from the first round of young spring leaves.

The spring release version of this green tea, like others from the first harvest which are immediately packaged after harvest, is known as "shincha." The shincha version of this product tends to be bolder than later releases. The shincha version of this product is available from May through July as quantities permit.

At other times of the year, a larger percentage of this same green tea, like the majority of other first harvest green teas, is processed to the point of it's last stage of drying. Instead of finishing the last stage, the tea is stored under cold storage in a humidity controlled environment. Throughout the year it will be pulled and processed as needed, and is referred to as "Kuradashi Shincha." The quality level is on par with the shincha version, however the taste mellows somewhat with aging, making this wonderful tea available throughout the year.