Processing Japanese Green Teas
Japanese methods of processing tea were, for a long time, inspired by Chinese practice, but today they are radically different, mainly because of state-of-the-art technologies and specific processing methods that were developed and refined over centuries. For the production of green teas, the Japanese "fire" the leaf using steam. Also known as the "Uji method," this process preserves extremely fresh aromas with notes of the sea and herbaceous plants.In order to maintain competitive pricing on the international market in the face of high labor costs Japanese growers have been quick to adopt technical advances. To produce Japanese-style green tea, the...