OUR OFFERINGS - KARIGANE

Elevation: 280 m
Climate: Subtropical
Origin: Uji, Kyoto, Japan
Harvest: May 2007

Characteristics

Body:  Rounded, subtle
Flavor:  Delicate, green
Finish:  Clean, peppery
Aroma:  Brown butter, sesame oil

Tasting Notes

The fresh flavor of Karigane is delicate like a Sencha but has many of the nutty, toasted grain flavors associated with a Kukicha. The dry aroma reminds me of brown butter and steamed kale. After steeping, the aroma is still buttery but more fresh asparagus-like. The flavor, however, is delicate and green with notes of toasted wheat and sweet grass. Our Karigane finishes with hints of cracked black pepper and the lingering green tea flavor is amazing.

Doug’s Notes

Karigane comes to us from Uji, located in the Kyoto prefecture. This growing region is famous for many uniquely Japanese teas, and it is here that most of the best quality Gyokuro and Maccha is grown. Our Karigane comes from a 200 year-old family garden currently run by Mr. Yoshiyuki Harima, the 6th generation of his family to run this particular farm.

Mr. Yoshiyuki Harmi (right) and the garden manager standing among the tea trees.

The Harima family first began cultivating their mountain land in the late 1850’s and by the turn of century, they were retailing their tea in Japan. Over the last hundred years, Harimaen teas have won numerous awards, including a first place in the Japan National Tea Competition and multiple awards from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture.

I am especially proud of purchasing Mr. Haima’s teas because of his dedication to organic, sustainable farming practices. (The awards are icing on the cake.) In the summer of 1978, Mr. Harima collapsed in one of his gardens due to pesticide poisoning. At the time, his gardens were sprayed 7 or 8 times per year. The process took two days and was quite taxing on the workers. Realizing the environmental costs to both people and the land, Mr. Harima took the advice of a close friend and began to farm organically.

Harvests suffered greatly at first as the garden yielded half as much tea. Through his persistent efforts, the farm gradually increased its yields. In 2001 Harimaen teas were certified organic by the Japanese Agricultural Standard. After nearly 20 years of organic farming, the river life near Mr. Marima’s farm has seen a gradual resurgence. The repopulation of several species that had been nearing extinction is a testament to Mr. Harima’s commitment, not only to the environment, but to the well-being of his employees.

Karigane is a new offering for us. Its closest relative is Kukicha. Both are twig teas, meaning that the stems of the tea plants are used. (While the tea may include some leaves, it is not composed wholly of them.) The difference between Karigane and Kukicha is that the former is a spring-picked tea that uses stems from Sencha and Gyokuro plants, whereas the latter uses stems from Bancha plants picked later in the year. The result is a tea that tastes more like a Sencha but shares a lot of the unique flavors of a Kukicha. Both teas have their merits, but due to an unreasonably large price increase for our Kukicha, I have chosen to carry Karigane instead. For the same price as our previous Kukicha offering, I am now buying a first-flush tea produced by a very reputable farm.

Japanese twig teas are a favorite of mine.  I love their unique flavors. Since they are comprised mostly of stems, they tend to be lower in caffeine that leaf teas. Karigane should be steeped at 175˚, but due to the high volume of twigs, it can sustain higher water temperatures. This margin of error makes it very easy to prepare a good cup.