Yame Hojicha (For Hojicha Latte)

八女焙茶

Harvest
Spring 2024

Origin
Yame, Fukuoka 

This amazing hojicha powder is from Yame Miryokuen, a small farmer’s cooperative formed in 1996 by 5 tea farmers in Yame.

It makes one of the most delicious hojicha lattes we have tasted. It is silky smooth, and has an amazing, very distinct, aftertaste.

The finely ground tea powder appears very light in colour, but by no means pales in its flavour. Its bright, fresh notes remind us a bit of Kaga Bocha (our beloved Japanese roasted tea), giving this drink a wonderful, floral complexity. The whisked hojicha turns a very compelling caramel colour with milk, and has a very smooth, integrated mouthfee. Its unique, lingering aftertaste floats upwards, into our head, extending our enjoyment of it. 

This is a very delicious and interesting alternative to our dark roasted Uji Hojicha, and a tea that writes its place of origin on our palates. We think it will inspire you for many reasons, and is an excellent, refreshing drink for the summer months. 

3.5g ⋅ 80°C ⋅ 30ml ⋅ bamboo whisk. Add to 7 ounce of your milk of choice

. . .

Yame Miryokuen is one of very few vertically integrated tea producers in the region who grow, manufacture and sell their own tea. In their small factory in Yame they produce outstanding sencha, matcha and hojicha.

I visited this factory and one of their nearby farms during my trip there in March. There I met Mr. Ejima, a very kind and warm person whose genuine love for Yame tea was immediately apparent. With both humbleness and pride, he walked me through one of his beloved tea fields.

The 5 farmers that make up Yame Miryokuen are very inspired by the land that they are from. In their words, 

"While Yame’s unique land and climate provide us with a rich bounty of tea, the struggle with nature is tough when it comes to growing and making it here. We are still, and have always been, mystified by the relationship between humans and nature. The warmth of the Yame people and our connections with the local community is something we feel deeply as we work hard every day to make Yame tea."

The tea that they make is an expression of their gratitude for the locale that they are so inspired by. They strive to convey this feeling to the people and land of Yame through the tea they make.