Kumamoto Lemongrass Kamairicha

Name: Kumamoto Lemongrass Kamairicha
Brand: Tezumi Classics
SKU: US-TEA-KM4-100
Price: 28.00 USD
Availability: InStock

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100 grams

Single Origin | Multi-Cultivar Blend

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From the hills of Ashikata comes this aromatic blend of traditional pan-fired tea and locally-grown lemongrass. The first infusion showcases the rich body of the kamairicha while the second brings out the refreshing aroma of lemongrass. It can also be enjoyed cold-brewed.

Cold-brewing instructions:

8-10g | 500ml Water | 1hr in the Fridge

The rare pan-fired processing of this kamairicha from Kumamoto gives it its savoury and nutty flavour. Though older than sencha, kamairicha makes up less than 0.5% of Japanese tea produced today. This traditional tea is smooth and easy drinking, with less astringency than most sencha.

A mountainous prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Kumamoto has a long history of tea production, dating back to the 12th century as its mineral-rich volcanic soils are perfect for agriculture. In the 1600s, the pan-firing or kamairi (釜炒り) method of production was introduced from China.

Taste Profile

Production Region

Brewing Instructions

Tea/Water Ratio

3g per 100ml of water
(.11oz per 3.4oz)

Water Temperature

90º C (194ºF)

Brewing Time

90 seconds

Meet the Producer

Ocha no Kajihara (お茶のカジハラ)

Toshihiro Kajihara (梶原敏弘) is a third-generation tea farmer, who has been making tea for around 40 years. He is dedicated to preserving the tradition of kamairicha in an industry that is increasingly moving towards steamed teas. He has also travelled to the tea-producing regions of Taiwan and China to learn more about oolong and black tea production techniques.

The mountainous village of Ashikita in Kumamoto is not typically seen as a tea producing area as tea grown here was mostly consumed within the town. Nonetheless, following World War II, the Kajihara family began began a tea business specialising in the local kamairicha (釜炒り茶) style, which is a green tea that is pan-fired rather than steamed in order to stop oxidation.

When founding their tea business, the Kajihara family discovered a plot of yamacha (山茶 - mountain tea), which are ’wild’ and uncultivated seed-grown tea plants. These plants have been preserved to this day, hand-picked to produce an exquisite tea. In addition to kamairicha, Kajihara also produces oolongs, wakoucha, from cultivars such as Yabukita, Okuyutaka, Izumi, Koushun, Benifuuki, and even the local zairai.