I absolutely love Japanese teas, and I have a deep loyalty to Ippodo Tea of Kyoto. On my last trip to Japan, I had some time to kill at the Kansai airport, and visited the small, but well-stocked Fukujuen tea shop.
Fukujuen is a major player in Japanese tea, established in 1790, and with strong ties to the tea production region of Uji. Like Ippodo, they have a flagship store in Kyoto, an online shop, and multiple retail outlets in Japan and also internationally. I chose several classic Japanese teas to bring home.
Whereas gyokuro is completely shade grown, and sencha is grown in the sun, kabusecha is shaded for a short time right before harvest. Shading changes the composition, and thus the flavor, of the tea leaves.
This kabusecha from Fukujuen is delightful! The brew is pale jade in color, so I was not prepared for just how full-flavored it is. It smells amazing, with a rich aroma, and the taste is very smooth, not astringent, and only slightly bitter. It is savory and vegetal.
Fukujuen has definitely made a fan out of me. They will be one of my tea shopping stops in Japan from now on. In the meantime, here is a link to their online store, which is available in English.
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