NEW [Grown without pesticide]
Licorice, fruity
Umami★☆☆☆ / Astringency★★☆☆
Body★★★★ / Firing★★☆☆

The term “zairai-shu” refers to botanical and indigenous varieties. In other words, these are teas that come from seeds, rather than the process of selection and reproduction through cuttings. Tea gardens that grow teas in this way have almost completely disappeared and been replaced by cultivars (selected varieties). This style of tea cultivation means each tea tree in a zairai tea garden is different. The cultivation and manufacture of teas from these gardens is not simple. While it is difficult to find strong characteristics in these types of teas, they also offer—to some extent—a “natural assemblage.” This zairai sencha comes from Shinden in Umegashima.
In the first infusion, this tea delivers a light, vegetal, and subtly sweet fragrance. In the mouth, we find a sencha that is lightly astringent and that has no—or almost no—umami. We once again find subtly sweet aromas with liquorice nuances. Despite its lightness, this zairai is also very present. It also delivers and very fine, sweet, vegetal length.
During subsequent infusions, this sencha gains strength and body. The aromas are more prominent, becoming sweeter all while retaining their nuances of liquorice and anise. As it cools, the tea also gains vanilla nuances.
The length remains just as strong, but is less vegetal and is sweeter.
We see with this tea the raw rustic side of zairai, aspects which go hand in hand with the robustness of the tea. This tea is very different from what tends to be seen in modern trends.

Type of tea: Futsumushi sencha (normal-steamed sencha)
Origin: Shinden, Umegashima area, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Cultivar: "zairai" indigenous species
Harvest: May 25th, 2025