Name of the Product: YANA (shop here)
Type of tea: Premium Sencha
Producer: Koga Kumiko of Kogachagyo — 4th generation of tea masters
Location: Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, northern Kyushu, Japan
Harvest: May 2022
Read about the Kogachagyo family business below
Kogachagyo, established in 1938, is a family business operated by Koga Kumiko san and her mother and father. Koga san represents the fourth generation of tea masters from Yame City, Fukuoka prefecture. The family business produces competition and national prize-winning gyokuro, vibrant and aromatic sencha, and organic, ceremonial-grade matcha that all best represent the unique depth and complexity of Yame teas.
Taste this tea like Koga san !
Yana sencha is made from premium tea from Yame, in the north of Kyushu island. This sencha is ablend of the Yabukita and Saemidori cultivars, the latter also being suitable for the production of gyokuro tea.
This new sencha from Kogacha Gyo is a demonstration of all the company's know-how, with an original, surprising and deliciously gourmet proposal.
Looking at the tea leaves, one can notice that they are slightly broken. This is due to a longer steaming time of the leaves than for a classic sencha, without it being a fukamushi sencha.
This sencha offers a range of aromas that is not fully revealed at first tasting. At first sight, prepared like a more classical sencha (80°C/30-60 seconds of infusion), it gives a strong umamitaste, assertive and long in the mouth, which will please most people.
As the delicacy of this tea was perceptible to me, I brewed it at a lower temperature (60°C/60 seconds) to let the palette of its aromas and its freshness express themselves more freely.
Bybeing curious, and by taming it, this tea delivers an unequalled roundness, without any trace ofbitterness, with fresh and slightly fruity notes. The palette of flavors is quite unique compared to themany other sencha teas available on the market.But it is when brewed cold with ice cubes using the kōridashi (氷出し) method that one canappreciate the convergence of this tea's sweetness and strong umami in a single cup.
A truly enjoyable tasting, especially during the summer. Its silky texture perfectly completes this sensory journey all in softness and subtlety.
How to prepare Yana sencha?
Thanks to the versatility of this tea, it is possible to brew it in several ways to bring out a particular aspect of this sencha. The method indicated by the Kogacha company emphasizes umami taste.
Preparation according to Kogacha's method (for one person):
- Pour 3 grams of tea leaves into a teapot, or preferably a kyūsu.
- Boil 80ml of water, let it cool preferably to 80C (176F), then pour into the teapot.
- Let steep for 30 seconds. Pour into a cup and enjoy.
This tea can also offer an incomparable sweetness for a sencha, if prepared with a shorter infusion time or at a lower temperature, with slightly fruity notes.
Alternative preparation (for one person):
- Pour 3 grams of tea leaves into a teapot, or preferably a kyūsu.
- Boil 80ml of water, let cool to 60C (140F), then pour into the teapot.
- Let steep for 60 seconds. Pour into a cup and enjoy.
Finally, the kōridashi method is ideal during the summer heat and provides an intense roundness in
the mouth, which is probably one of the best ways to enjoy this Yana sencha tea.
Kōridashi method (for one person):
- Pour 6 grams of tea leaves into a teapot, or preferably a kyūsu.
- Fill the teapot with ice cubes and allow to melt.
- Pour into a cup and enjoy.
Yana sencha can be brewed 2 to 3 times.
