Haruno Village 

• Shizuoka is renowned as one of Japan's premier tea production areas
• Located in a mountainous area west of Shizuoka Prefecture, Haruno village is often shrouded in mist, particularly in the early morning and late evening hours.   
• Surrounded by  mountains, and proximity to the Pacific Ocean create a microclimate that can lead to the formation of mist and fog.
• This misty microclimate is ideal for the production of high quality Japanese tea.  In fact, Shizuoka is one of the premier tea growing regions of Japan, producing numerous award winning teas every year.
• The mist helps to reduce the amount of direct sunlight that reaches the tea plants, slowing down the growth process and resulting in a more complex and nuanced flavor profile. 
• On average, the total annual harvest from Haruno village zairai  yields  90 kg of finished Kamairicha Ichoka.  This is a minuscule amount, compared to the average annual  production of organic tea in Shizuoka, estimated at 10,000 tons.  Such limited yield makes Kamairicha Ichoka Zairai  a rare but exquisite tea.

Cultivation Notes:

• Being the cradle of organic tea cultivation, Shizuoka is the birth place of numerous zairai  tea plants that thrive without human intervention in forest-like setting.  However, up to now, we have only found zairai tea from Haruno Village, when processed into Kamairicha Ichoka green tea, to meet and exceed our expectations in every way in terms of flavor, taste
• Unlike modern cultivars that grow from clones or cuttings, zairai tea trees grow from seeds and have long tap roots that draws their nutrients from the rich and deep volcanic soil.  
• Many of these tea plants date back several hundred years.  Each zairai tea tree has a distinct personality, different from the parent trees.  
• As zairai trees don't grow in uniform rows like the modern cultivars in a tea garden or field, hand picking is necessary.
• Our Kamairicha Ichoka Zairai is JAS certified organic [JAS stands for Japanese Agricultural Standards, which are guidelines set by the Japanese government for organic agricultural products. These standards ensure that products are of high quality and produced sustainably, without the use of chemical synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. To be JAS certified, products must pass a strict test conducted by a third-party organization recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in Japan certified organic]

Processing Notes:

• Upon harvest, a highly skilled tea master examines the hand-harvested zairai leaves and determines which process would be best to bring out the inherent beauty of the leaves.  
• To make this Kamairicha Ichoka Zairai,  the hand-harvested tea leaves first undergo a period controlled wilting [Ichoka]  to enhance the aroma and flavor of this zairai.​  Controlled wilting, seemingly a simple process on the surface, is actually a delicate process that requires much skills and experience.  The margin of error is very small and unforgiving.  There is no viable way to correct a mistake.  The result is either a tea with exquisite, ethereal taste and aroma, or a horrid moldy mess. 
• Once optimal wilting has been achieved, the tea leaves are pan-fried [kamairi] on cast iron pan at gradually increasing levels of heat for a short time.  This process effectively stops enzymatic oxidation of the leaves while preserving and enhancing their aromatic characteristic.
• Pan-frying has been the prevalent method processing tea leaves upon harvest since the 1400.  It is still practiced by a few skilled tea masters in this region to this day.

• Tasting Notes:
  • The process of controlled wilting followed by pan-frying yield a slightly roasted flavor reminiscent of a classical Chinese green tea or a classical Taiwanese green oolong.  
  • This Haruno village Kamairicha Ichoka Zairai carries a surprisingly pleasant and refreshing peppery note, with  complex floral notes and discernible toasting flavor.
  • Zairai, by definition, is always full of surprises.  It is never uniform and consistent the way modern cultivars - especially those from Japan - often are.  We are particularly please with our stash of Kamairicha Ichoka Zairai  from Haruno village this year.
  • Caffeine level:  Medium
  • If you enjoy this Kamairicha Ichoka Zairai, you might find our low-caffeine Hojicha delightful as they are both made from the leaves of  the same native ancient zairai tea trees [https://www.chevivo.com/store/products/hojicha].