We have released a black tea from Tsukigase, Nara Prefecture, made from the Benihikari cultivar grown without pesticides or fertilizers.
This black tea was developed in collaboration with the producer in Tsukigase, and we were directly involved in improving the production methods.
Japanese black tea is often said to have a distinctive fragrance, commonly regarded as one of its defining characteristics.
We have found that in many cases this fragrance is actually caused by insufficient control of enzymatic fermentation during processing.
We designed this production method to address this issue and to avoid over-fermentation.
Pesticide Free Benihikari Black Tea from Tsukigase, Nara
Tsukigase, Nara was once called Tsukigase Village, but in 2005 it was incorporated into Nara City. Even as it became part of Nara City, its nature and climate still remain strongly present today.
Tsukigase is located at the northeastern edge of Nara Prefecture, close to Minamiyamashiro Village in southern Kyoto and Iga Ueno City in Mie Prefecture. Across the slopes, tea gardens spread alongside plum groves, with the deep valley carved by the Nabari River forming a clear boundary. The terrain, with its elevation difference from the mountain foothills down to the Nabari River at the valley bottom, creates a large day-to-night temperature range, bringing softness and a clear fragrance to the tea through natural stress.
The soil there is formed from the ancient Lake Biwa strata, created roughly 5 million to 1 million years ago. The deep layers contain sediments and fossils, and in some places iron-rich yellowish soil is found in the surface layer. Tea gardens developed along the mountain shoulder often have a thick yellow soil layer, and that is where we source our lot. This iron-rich soil has the characteristic of producing a long finish. Because the tea gardens are situated on slopes rather than flat land, the root systems develop to draw water from deeper layers rather than relying on moisture near the surface, allowing the plants to absorb minerals from greater depths.
Tea gardens in Tsukigase
The Importance of Fermentation Control in Black Tea Production
Japanese black tea, often referred to as Wakocha, is frequently said to have a distinctive fragrance that many consider a defining characteristic.
However, from a tea manufacturing perspective, this is not a natural characteristic of Japanese black tea, but an over-fermentation odor caused by insufficient control of enzymes.
In Japan, equipment designed for green tea is often reused for black tea production, even though it is not well-suited to black tea processing. As a result, producers often fail to stop enzyme activity precisely during heating and drying, allowing fermentation to proceed too far.
Consequently, the tea is over-fermented and tannins known as thearubigins are formed, while amino acids break down reductively, generating a musty odor.
This musty smell is not a characteristic of Japanese black tea, but a flaw caused by problems in the manufacturing process. We often find the same type of odor in black teas from Taiwan, China, and India when manufacturing is poorly controlled.
To prevent such defects, we focus carefully on how each stage of the manufacturing process is designed and controlled. Based on a clear understanding of processing conditions, we evaluate the finished tea and select only lots that show clean, well-controlled aromatic quality.
Tea with a Fragrance Reminiscent of Pineapple and Grapes
Benihikari is a black tea cultivar developed in Japan in 1969 by crossing Benikaori with a Chinese-lineage tea plant, known for its light, menthol-like character.
This tea is lightly fermented, producing a clean and refreshing fragrance with subtle menthol notes and impressions of pineapple, grapes, and honey. The fragrance remains clear even through multiple infusions.
