==================== ▶ What is Minokamo Tea Shop's "Icho Sencha"? ==================== Ordinary sencha is made by steaming the tea leaves immediately after harvest to stop the action of oxidative enzymes before they wilt, but "wilted sencha" is aged overnight after harvest and slightly fermented to make tea with a unique flower-like aroma. Minokamo Tea Shop's "Icho Sencha" is not a wilted sencha that has devised a manufacturing method to add a scent, but a tea that reproduces the old-fashioned aroma that was born naturally in the activities of old tea farmers. It was a time when there were no large-scale tea-making machines like today, and it was not possible to make all the tea leaves harvested during the day on the same day (manufacturing and processing tea to a state where it could be preserved). The tea leaves that could not be made were stored overnight in a cool place as much as possible so that the tea leaves would not be damaged until the next day's tea production. The temperature in Higashishirakawa Village during that season is about 3°C. At this temperature, the tea leaves will only wilt (ferment) slightly. The tea with a flowery aroma but a refreshing mouthfeel with a faint freshness has become synonymous with Higashi-Shirawa Village. [About the classification of tea] Due to the action of oxidative enzymes, tea leaves slowly wilt and ferment immediately after harvesting. Depending on the manufacturing method and degree of fermentation, it is divided into types such as green tea, oolong tea, and black tea. ==================== ▶ Taste and aroma ==================== After freezing and storing it for two years, it is burned and finished. Like the rest of Minokamo Tea Shop's lineup, only Ichiban tea is used, so you can enjoy a mellow flavor. Please enjoy the rich flavor with the gorgeous aroma of slightly fermented. ==================== ▶ About the production area / producer ==================== Minokamo Tea Shop's tea is grown in Higashi-Shirakawa Village, which has a population of about 2,000 people located in the eastern part of Gifu Prefecture, which is considered to be the birthplace of "Shirakawa tea". Surrounded by mountains with an altitude of 1,000 meters, Higashishirakawa Village covers 90% of the total area in mountain forests. Tea leaves grown in tea plantations at an altitude of about 400 to 700 meters, which is said to be the limit of cultivation due to the large temperature difference between morning and evening, are characterized by a deep taste that harmonizes rich umami and refreshing astringency, and a refreshing "mountain scent". In order to take advantage of these characteristics, we focus on the "shallow steaming" manufacturing method, which minimizes the steaming time after harvest. The burning and blending (gogumi) are supervised by Mr. Taguchi, a tea master from a tea farmer in Higashishirakawa Village.