Drink Yamecha, Japan’s High-Quality Green Tea

content: Yamecha is produced in Yame City, Fukuoka. The city is renowned for producing the finest gyokuro green tea in the country, using traditional cultivation methods.

Summary

Yamecha is produced in Yame City, Fukuoka. The city is renowned for producing the finest gyokuro green tea in the country, using traditional cultivation methods. Learn about Yamecha, gyokuro, and five great tea-related things to do in Yame city.

What Is Yamecha?

Fukuoka Prefecture is one of the best places to visit for good local food such as Hakata ramen. The people there also producer Yamecha, or green tea, made in Yame City. Like most other Japanese teas, the tea produced in Yame City is called “Yamecha” by combining two aspects regarding it; the tea’s production area (in this case, Yame City in Fukuoka Prefecture) and the Japanese word for tea (cha).

Although tea is produced nationwide, the major producers of green tea are Shizuoka and Kagoshima Prefectures, and Fukuoka’s Yamecha only makes up about 2.2% of the entire green tea production. However, that doesn’t mean that Yamecha is less tasty than others.In fact, Yamecha producers boast that they have always prioritized quality over quantity, focusing on creating delicious tea. Perhaps for that reason, Yamecha’s traditional gyokuro green tea has been selected as the best tea in Japan in December 2018. At the annual Japanese National Tea Competition, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries awarded Yamecha first prize and referred to it as the finest green tea in the “gyokuro” section, which is the highest ranked green tea in Japan. Year after year, Yamecha is being picked as the number one gyokuro green tea.

Before we go on, please take note that although we see bottled “gyokuro” green tea in convenience stores, they are usually only partially so and pure gyokuro green tea tastes completely different. In fact, although most Japanese are familiar with the term, “gyokuro,” there are many people who have never actually had real gyokuro green tea. There are two main reasons for this.The first is that it’s produced in small amounts, and the second is that it’s one of the most expensive teas in Japan.

What Is Special About Yamecha?

After Kyoto’s Uji City, Fukuoka’s Yame City is actually the second largest producer of gyokuro green tea and makes up about 35% to 45% of the entire amount of gyokuro tea produced.

Gyokuro green tea’s cultivation process is more time-consuming compared to other green teas. It has to be cultivated in mountain valleys, where there is little sunlight, and the tea bushes are left to grow naturally. In order to accomplish this, the tea bushes are covered with screens to block the tea bushes from getting too much sunlight. The objective of covering the tea bushes is to increase theanine, a type of amino acid that makes the tea sweet, and decrease tannin levels, the substance that makes tea bitter. This creates a sweet, mellow tasting green tea, characteristic of gyokuro tea.

Tea bushes are covered when new shoots appear. The biggest difference with other regions is that when covering the tea bushes, Yame farmers use traditional straw screens. Other regions use synthetic fiber because it makes labor easier, but Yame farmers believe synthetic fiber increases the temperature in the field too much, which results in a lower quality gyokuro green tea. Using the straw screens, Yame farmers adjust the amount of sunlight the tea bushes receive. At first, only about 85% of the bushes are covered, and gradually this is increased until the bush is quite fully inthe shade around ten days before harvest. Tealeaves are picked carefully by hand. This is only part of the manual labor involved.

Using their years of experience, dedication, and passion, Yame farmers create gyokuro green tea that excels in every aspect including aroma, texture, flavor and appearance, creating one of the finest green teas the country has to offer.

Top 5 Tea Activities In Yame City

Here are the top 5 tea activities in Yame city.1. Drink Yamecha
Try drinking the very best traditional gyokuro green tea that won the National Tea Competition. Have tea experts pour the tea for you, and drink the highly prized green tea while enjoying Japanese sweets. Also try drinking other types of Yamecha, and eating sweets made with Yamecha.2. Pick Yamecha tealeaves
Experience hand picking Yamecha tealeaves at a local tea farm. Receive instruction on how to pick them beforehand, and actually experience picking them yourself. In Yame City, tealeaves are picked two or three times a year during the months from April to August. The very first month of harvest is known to be the very best so if tealeaves hand picking experience interests you, why not try to aim to visit in mid-April to the beginning of May?3. Learn how to make a good cup of green tea
Using adequate water, and using the right water temperature is key to making a good cup of green tea.4. Learn about Yamecha’s history
Learn about Yamecha’s history by visiting local temples and museums.5. Try making your own Matcha
Last but not least, hand grind your own matcha, and drink it on the spot! Although Yamecha is widely known for the traditional gyokuro green tea, it is actually also well known to produce high quality matcha green tea. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to have the best!

Many facilities offer the above activities so check which one matches your travel schedule and interests! Visit Yame City, an interesting tea city located in southern Fukuoka, to experience harvesting, drinking, and learning about one of the finest green teas in the country.

Information

http://www.city.yame.fukuoka.jp/ikkrwebBrowse/material/files/group/20/2_3.pdf
http://yame-tea.com/en/