Kamairicha - Organic Single Cultivars by Kourogi san

Kamairicha and Kourogi san Background Information:
Kamairicha is pan fried tea, that is not steamed at all unlike most Japanese tea. Even houjicha, roasted tea, is usually roasted from a steamed tea. Pan frying and steaming are two methods used to halt oxidisation/wilting of the tea leaves after harvest, as the high temperatures stop enzymes from breaking down the leaves. Kamairicha is not a tea that is known for umami flavour, and that is because of the processing technique of pan frying rather than steaming. Instead, you can expect fresh and floral flavours depending on the cultivar, and to extract the flavours well temperatures of 90-100 degrees are often used. The higher temperature can bring out some pleasant astringency, while using lower temperatures of 70-80 degrees taste somewhat empty in comparison. Kourogi san himself uses water just off the boil (he uses the sound of the water to know when its ready, not a thermometer!).

Kyushu is a region famous for kamairicha production, especially Miyazaki prefecture where Kourogi san is based. He is an incredibly well respected tea farmer and producer who has specialised in organic growing for over 20 years, and is a household name associated with pan fried tea for those in the industry! Before training people to use machinery to pan fry tea, he always teaches them to do it by hand first, to fully understand the process. Kourogi san is also is contracted to grow tea in Hokkaido - the most northern part of Japan - which must be very difficult due to the cold climate!

Kamairicha has an appearance of deep green leaves that have been rolled into small, tight needle shapes that almost resemble thin little green worms. Ichou kamairicha has a much looser roll, looking much more open and almost knotted, and a much lighter colour. See below slideshow for a photo comparison side by side. Interestingly, the deep green colour of kamairicha is quickly lost during the brewing process when brewed hot, whereas ichou kamairicha develops an incredibly deep green colour after brewing hot!

Notes for Kourogi san’s Single Cultivar Ichou Kamairicha:
Takachiho is a native cultivar to Miyazaki, and was specifically bred for kamairicha production, with a strong cold resistance and a middle harvest time like Yabukita (neither early nor late). It is incredibly floral and aromatic, with a full and round flavour profile with a nice amount of sweetness and a small lingering elegant astringency. The dry leaf aroma reminds Mei of playing in a grassy field.

Unkai was created by cross breeding Takachiho with other cultivars. It also has strong cold resistance, and a similar harvest time as Takachiho/Yabukita. Retaining the fullness, smoothness and sweetness of Takachiho, Unkai also has a gentle caramelised flavour and liquid colour (not nearly as much as Koushun!).

Yumewakaba also has a middling harvest time but is actually a Saitama native cultivar that Okutomi san in Sayama also grows and processes as Ichou Sencha! We find Kourogi san’s Ichou Yumewakaba has an easy drinking floral profile with gentle sweetness and minimal astringency.

Kanayamidori is a Shizuoka native cultivar also with a strong cold resistance, harvested a few days after Yabukita although with a higher yield, It is said to have a milky aroma.

Koushun has a prominent caramelised syrupy richness with an elegant astringency and a similarly caramel liquid colour, and the most broken texture of the ichou kamairi that we’ve found so far. It could also be described as having a robust and slightly smoky profile with a noticeable astringency compared to the other cultivars.

Minami Sayaka is light and refreshing with a gentle sweetness and little to no astringency. It is particularly ‘clean’ with gentle florality which makes it incredible easy to drink.

Overall, expect bursts of smooth, crisp, refreshing, florality with layers of complexity with varying amounts of sweetness and astringency.

We find the ichou (wilting) process to produce similar flavour profiles as those by Okutomi san in Sayama, which is not particularly surprising due to the similarity in processing method, but relatively interesting due to the massive distance between Miyazaki and Saitama, along with the terroirs being vastly different. Miyazaki is extremely mountainous and Kourogi san’s farm is at around 600m above sea level and 32.5 degrees latitude, with dense low level fog in the daytime. Okutomi san’s farm is on the flatlands of Sayama at around 50-100m above sea level in a more urban environment at around 36 degrees latitude. It makes sense that the cultivars chosen by Kourogi san are mainly those with strong cold resistance, since his farm is at a high altitude.

Hot brewing guide:
Kamairicha 3 grams
Water 60ml
First infusion 85°C for 60sec
Second infusion 90°C for 30sec
Third infusion 95°C for 10sec

Kourogi san himself uses very hot water for his kamairicha but uses the sound the water makes when it is approaching a boil rather than a thermometer! We would estimate around 90-95°C - but kamairicha is one of the very few teas that can be brewed with boiling water. Personally we find the balance of freshness, flavour, and astringency is best when using around 85-90°C but please experiment and find your own preference! One experiment we did with Kourogi san during our visit was to try 60°C vs 90°C and we were so surprised that while no astringency or harshness was extracted, the flavour of the tea was extremely light and lacking in body at 60°C. Using 90°C, the tea had some gentle astringency, but the balance of flavours was so much more satisfying!

Extremely delicious cold brewing guide:
Kamairicha 4 grams
Water 300ml @ 5-20°C for 10-14 hours
Spring or filtered water is recommended (specifically we look for a TDS of 30-80 - if you’re in the north of england tap water should be fine, and if you’re in the south you may be familiar with water filters and softeners already). Simply pour the tea leaves on water and keep in the fridge overnight, or for 6-12 hours. Avoid vigorous handling/shaking. The duration of the brew can be experimented with to find your personal preference and when you are happy with the flavour, strain and dispose of the leaves. Consume within 24 hours.

Storage:
Store in the fridge or at room temperature in a cool dry place, and avoid exposure to sunlight and air - both of these will degrade your tea. Best consumed within 1 year from when it is first opened (keep in airtight packaging with the least amount of air possible for best storage), but pan fried teas are not as sensitive as steamed tea like sencha or especially matcha, so this is not a strict time limit and we have tasted vacuum packed kamairicha that was 10 years old and delicious!