New Release: Tsukigase Black Tea Benihikari | HOJO Online Speciality Tea Shop

We have released a black tea from Tsukigase, Nara Prefecture, made from the Benihikari cultivar grown without pesticides or fertilizers.

We developed this black tea together with the producer in Tsukigase, and we have been actively involved in improving the production process.

Naturally Cultivated Benihikari Black Tea from Tsukigase, Nara

Tsukigase, Nara, was formerly known as Tsukigase Village before being incorporated into Nara City in 2005. While many tourists visit Nara Prefecture every year, Tsukigase lies in a remote area surrounded by mountains and blessed with a rich natural environment. Although the administrative boundaries have changed over time, the area’s natural environment and terroir remain unchanged.

Located in the northeastern part of Nara Prefecture, Tsukigase borders Minamiyamashiro Village in Kyoto Prefecture and Iga City in Mie Prefecture. Tea gardens spread across the mountain slopes alongside the famous plum groves. The deep valley carved by the Nabari River creates a large day-night temperature variation, placing the tea trees under natural stress and giving the tea a soft taste and a clear flavor.

The soil in this region is derived from the ancient Lake Biwa Formation, which dates back approximately 5 million to 1 million years. The deeper layers contain ancient sediments and fossils, while the surface is covered with red soil, where tea gardens spread across the landscape. We specifically use tea grown on the mountain slopes, where the red soil gives the tea a long-lasting aftertaste and remarkable depth of flavor.

Tsukigase Tea Garden

The Importance of Controlling Enzyme Activity in Black Tea Production

Black tea produced in Japan is generally known as Wakocha. However, the vast majority of Japanese black teas have a distinctive musty or banana-like flavor, and these characteristics are widely regarded as typical of Wakocha.

In our view, however, these flavors are quality defects resulting from inadequate moisture management and insufficient control of enzyme activity during processing. A similar misunderstanding can also be found in natural wine, where volatile acidity or bean-like flavors are often mistaken as inherent characteristics of natural wine itself.

In Japan, black tea is often manufactured using equipment originally designed for Japanese green tea production, which is not suitable for black tea manufacture. As a result, the heating process is often insufficient and the drying process takes longer than it should, allowing oxidative enzymes to remain active for too long.

This excessive enzyme activity causes over-oxidation of polyphenols into thearubigins while amino acids are broken down, producing the characteristic musty odor. The same phenomenon can also be found in black teas produced in Taiwan, China, and India.

Throughout the development of this tea, we have worked closely with the producer, providing advice on improving the production process to bring out the flavor that black tea is meant to have. We place great importance on how each stage of the manufacturing process is designed and controlled. We carefully monitor the conditions of every processing step, evaluate the finished tea, and select only black teas with a clean, well-balanced flavor for our exclusive use.

Black Tea with Notes of Pineapple, Muscat, and Honey

Benihikari is a black tea cultivar developed in Japan in 1969. It was bred by crossing Benikaori with a Chinese tea variety and is known for its refreshing flavor reminiscent of menthol.

This black tea is processed with a relatively light level of oxidation, though not to the same degree as a Darjeeling First Flush. Its lighter style retains a vibrant and refreshing flavor, with delicate hints of natural menthol accompanied by muscatel, floral, peach, and honey-like notes.

The liquor is clean, bright, and refined, with a refreshing finish that lingers pleasantly on the palate. Even after multiple infusions, the tea retains its clean and expressive flavor remarkably well. It also tastes wonderful when cold brewed.

How to Buy This Tea?

For international customers, please refer to the following page for pricing:
https://hojotea.com/img/tealineup10.pdf

Please send your inquiry to us via email at info2@hojotea.com.

For customers in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, please click here to visit the product page.

https://shop.hojotea.com.my/products/tsukigase-black-tea-benihikari