The intrinsic qualities of the soil
The care provided by the farmer
These factors greatly influence the quality of the final product. The physical and chemical conditions of the soil, fertilization, exposure to sunlight, watering, are among the most influential elements. The care given by the farmer is also important. Regularly pruning the plants is essential; it helps maintain them both healthy and small, thus the leaves richer in nutrients. Further, products like matcha and gyokuro require special care of the plants (for more information, please visit the "Tea Categories" page).
In general, the Japanese tea growers give great care to their tea gardens, which represents a special merit of Japanese teas. Farmers usually cultivate their teas in rows, which are kept at about 1 or 1.5 meter (3 to 5 feet) high to facilitate maintenance and harvesting. The sight of the neatly trimmed rows is a real wonder. Many farmers further improve quality and yield by using modern technology, such as electric fans, sprinklers and drip irrigators.
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Tea Garden in
Makurazaki, Kagoshima Prefecture, With close-up view of rows and posts holding |
The electric fans are used to
prevent frost from falling on the plants. Frost fall seriously affects the
quality of the tea. The leaves loose their green color and thus become unfit for the preparation of
green tea. (A clearer view of the
electric fans is available on the "Altitude of
the Tea Garden" page.)
The above factors are first assessed by gathering diversified information on the gardens along with field
surveys.
The result is partially recognizable on the field itself. The prettier the leaves and the greener their
color, the
better the tea.
Ultimately,
however, the quality of
the tea is judged by tasting the samples submitted by the tea growers. The tasters can name the best teas in
a general sense, and eventually the combination of
these and other factors generates distinguishing features for each tea growing
area.
Japan has six major tea growing prefectures: Saitama (Sayama), Shizuoka (Honyama,
Kawane, Ogasa, etc.), Kyoto (Uji), Fukuoka (Yame), Saga (Ureshino), and
Kagoshima (Satsuma, Makurazaki).
Major Tea Growing Areas
For its excellent climate, among other factors, Shizuoka is the most famous area. An estimated 50% of the country's annual crop is grown in Shizuoka. Uji is also well known for the quality of its teas. Some of our 1st quality teas come from Uji.
Needless to
say,
the best quality teas come from the best growers and they are
to be more expensive than others.
