{"title":"Sencha","description":"\u003cp\u003eJapan's famous steamed green tea, and one of the most electric and vibrant types of traditional tea there is. Unlike matcha and gyokuro, sencha is grown in direct sunlight, giving it a powerful concentration of antioxidants and a more crisp and structured taste.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"yame-sencha-yamakiri","title":"Yame Sencha “Yamakiri”","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe mountainous part of the Yame region is called Oku-Yame. Its elevation and inverted climate means it is prone to fog, which acts like a veil over the tea fields that grow there. This natural protection causes the tea plants to store nutrients in their leaves, eventually resulting in a tea rich in an umami flavor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKakuda Seicha is from a tea farming family in Kamyo-cho of Yame City in Oku-yame. Three generations previous to him, his ancestors built a small tea factory with the intention of producing genuine Oku-Yame tea that reflects the virtues of this mountainous terroir. Kakuda's relationship with this region, and the practice of farming and crafting tea there, runs very deep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis elegant sencha combines the dashi-like flavor and richness that teas from the Yame region are known for with Kakuda Seicha's signature preference for mellowness. The dried leaves have an earthy, roasted smell, and brew a champagne coloured liquor that feels oxygenated and fresh. There are woodsy notes in this sencha that we find somewhat onsen-like. Its buttery mouthfeel, akin to gyokuro, comes softly, with no astringency. This is a very gentle and generous sencha with lingering floral notes that leave us smiling.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48275718799640,"sku":null,"price":38.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/615A2790.jpg?v=1713565572"},{"product_id":"sencha-oku-yutaka-single-varietal","title":"Sencha Oku Yutaka","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe mountainous part of the Yame region is called Oku-Yame. Its elevation and inverted climate means it is prone to fog, which acts like a veil over the tea fields that grow there. This natural protection causes the tea plants to store nutrients in their leaves, eventually resulting in a tea rich in an umami flavor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKakuda Seicha is a tea farming family in Kamyo-cho of Yame City in Fukuoka, in Oku-yame. Three generations previous to him, his ancestors built a small tea factory with the intention of producing genuine Oku-Yame tea that reflects the virtues of this mountainous terroir. Kakuda's relationship with this region, and the practice of farming and crafting tea there, runs very deep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis sencha is made from a single varietal that is uniquely resistant to cold, making it ideal for growing in mountainous areas. Oku Yutaka is characterized by its mellow aroma and strong flavor, reminiscent of wild flowers and earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea has a rich, seaweedy taste and a plush mouthfeel. It drinks slowly, developing more character in the 3rd and 4th infusions, all the while maintaining a mysterious and oceanic tilt.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48275753500952,"sku":null,"price":26.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/615A3027.jpg?v=1713566882"},{"product_id":"sencha-tsuyu-hikari-single-varietal","title":"Sencha Tsuyu Hikari","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe mountainous part of the Yame region is called Oku-Yame. Its elevation and inverted climate means it is prone to fog, which acts like a veil over the tea fields that grow there. This natural protection causes the tea plants to store nutrients in their leaves, eventually resulting in a tea rich in an umami flavor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKakuda Seicha is a tea farming family in Kamyo-cho of Yame City in Fukuoka, in Oku-yame. Three generations previous to him, his ancestors built a small tea factory with the intention of producing genuine Oku-Yame tea that reflects the virtues of this mountainous terroir. Kakuda's relationship with this region, and the practice of farming and crafting tea there, runs very deep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis sencha is made from a single varietal that is said to be the most compatible with Yame's soil. Its thick, robust leaves require advanced processing techniques to craft into tea, making this sencha a real signature of its craftsman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTsuyu Hikari is known for its gentle aroma, strong flavor and concentrated sweetness. Its liquor has a silky mouthfeel, with pleasing vegetal notes that give way to the taste of dissolved rock sugar. Its rich taste is balanced between low, dense green notes and airy, forested top notes that create a spacious architecture. We feel the mountain air blowing through this tea.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48275776602392,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/615A2913.jpg?v=1713567719"},{"product_id":"yame-sencha-shinsui","title":"Yame Sencha “Shinsui\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe mountainous part of the Yame region is called Oku-Yame. Its elevation and inverted climate means it is prone to fog, which acts like a veil over the tea fields that grow there. This natural protection causes the tea plants to store nutrients in their leaves, eventually resulting in a tea rich in an umami flavor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKakuda Seicha is from a tea farming family in Kamyo-cho of Yame City in Oku-yame. Three generations previous to him, his ancestors built a small tea factory with the intention of producing genuine Oku-Yame tea that reflects the virtues of this mountainous terroir. Kakuda's relationship with this region, and the practice of farming and crafting tea there, runs very deep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis sencha is the highest grade of sencha from this producer, made from hand picked leaves harvested in the first picking of the season, when the tea plants are in their most tender and vibrant state.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt brews a stunning glowing, slightly opaque, lemon coloured liquor. By the second infusion it looks exactly like Mountain Dew! This luminous quality translates to the palate as a beautiful mouthfeel: dense and suspended with sweet, bright green notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe third infusion still glows an opaque yellowish-green and the leaves in the gaiwan look like steamed radish leaves, while the mouthfeel remains gentle and unified. Its vegetal notes come forward in later infusions, reminding us of its nutritive and cleansing properties. This is quintessential sencha, perfectly balanced, and not too umami forward considering its terroir.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"100g","offer_id":51357061218584,"sku":null,"price":48.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/615A6793_e810d851-9759-4893-983a-29d9153351d2.jpg?v=1765586053"},{"product_id":"yame-sencha-kabusecha","title":"Yame Kabusecha","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe mountainous part of the Yame region is called Oku-Yame. Its elevation and inverted climate means it is prone to fog, which acts like a veil over the tea fields that grow there. This natural protection causes the tea plants to store nutrients in their leaves, eventually resulting in a tea rich in an umami flavor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKakuda Seicha is from a tea farming family in Kamyo-cho of Yame City in Oku-yame. Three generations previous to him, his ancestors built a small tea factory with the intention of producing genuine Oku-Yame tea that reflects the virtues of this mountainous terroir. Kakuda's relationship with this region, and the practice of farming and crafting tea there, runs very deep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimilar to gyokuro, this green tea is crafted using the \"covering\" method before the leaves are harvested. The tea bushes are shaded with nets for roughly a week, blocking sunshine and causing the tea plants to produce an increased amount of catechins and L-theanine. This method is famous as a technique for suppressing bitterness, while increasing the sweetness and umami in the finished tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs we would expect, Kabusecha is a deep, forest green color and has a distinctive \"covered\" aroma, similar to gyokuro. It brews a refreshing, glowing, yellow liquor that gets sweeter through infusions. This is an excellent green tea for those who appreciate something mellow on the palate, dislike bitterness, but who love the revitalizing, eye-widening impact of sencha.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"100g","offer_id":51352537432344,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/615A6470_bc341c67-7128-4d7b-ab5b-acde9de8c4d0.jpg?v=1765586762"},{"product_id":"shizuoka-gyokuro-urarake","title":"Shizuoka Gyokuro \"Uraraka\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eShizuoka is so famous for its vast mountains and sencha, it took us a couple visits before we could look past these things and dive more deeply into its other treasures. We shouldn't have been surprised that fantastic gyokuro is produced here, but this tea has wowed us nonetheless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGyokuro production depends on shade, and the best ones are grown in the valleys of mountains where there is little direct sunlight. This makes the expansive mountain range and fertile valleys of Shizuoka an excellent place to grow gyokuro.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnique to the making of gyokuro is that, at a certain point, the entire field is covered with screens designed to filter out even more light. This stresses the tea trees, causing them to strive for sunlight, increasing the amount of the amino acid l-theanine in their leaves. This constant striving for sun is what gives gyokuro its distinct mouthfeel, nutritional properties, and rich flavor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMade from a rare varietal, Uraraka is only produced in very small quantities. This is a benchmark gyokuro for people looking for balanced, intense greenery. Dry, it smells very inviting, like concrete and cacao. Its taste lands pleasantly between a sencha and a gyokuro, with a forward astringency and grassy quality softened by a weighty, shade-grown mouthfeel.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"100g","offer_id":51355743256856,"sku":null,"price":48.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/20251202_Cultivate_12431_WEB.jpg?v=1765916940"}],"url":"https:\/\/cultivatetea.com\/collections\/sencha\/flavour-oceanic.oembed","provider":"Cultivate Tea","version":"1.0","type":"link"}