Japan: On the tea trail

At the beginning of June, the Japanese sun is already fierce. Halfway between Tokyo and Osaka, Shizuoka prefecture seems entirely dedicated to tea. Distributors of green tea bags on the station platforms, shops dedicated to tea in the city center, advertising panels…
Tea is at the center of everything! As soon as we leave the city, we see plump-looking serpentines emerging on the slopes of the surrounding hills, flocking with green tones, from the lightest to the darkest, interspersed with bamboo and cypress woods. . It must be said that here, the first cultures of Camellia sinensis, coming from China in the 8th century, date back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333). Since then, this bush, whose buds infused in water are now enjoyed by half of humanity, has thrived in a cool and harsh climate.

Tea Hunter

Our guide in this region is François-Xavier Delmas, the founder of Palais des Thés, a French tea house favored by lovers of exceptional teas, and of the École du Thé, a place of initiation and training. To supply the 500 annual references (including 200 grands crus) of his brand, he visits plantations around the world half the year in order to meet producers, discover the terroirs and unearth the finest productions. Japan ? A destination he knows well. “I have been coming here for almost thirty years, once or twice a year,” he explains. This is essential to unearth gems and establish a direct link with producers. » Guided on site by one of his suppliers (an essential intermediary in Japan), he moves through the fields, observing the largely mechanized picking, before going to the factories of small cooperatives. There, the fresh tea leaves are weighed, analyzed, then steamed, before being dried and rolled to obtain a raw tea called Aracha. This will be preserved before being transformed into “finished teas”: Sencha (green tea), Genmaicha (green tea and roasted and puffed brown rice), Hojicha (roasted green tea), Kukicha (green tea from stems and twigs tea), Konacha (green tea in small pieces), Matcha (green tea powder)…

I come to Japan once or twice a year to unearth gems and establish a direct link with the producers.

Great wines and know-how

“Here, green tea is harvested three times a year. The first harvest or Ichibancha, made in March-April, is the most sought after for its umami and vegetal notes, sometimes even vanilla, specifies François-Xavier Delmas. Then come the harvest of May-June and that of October. » A land of refinement, Japan also distinguishes between light teas and shade teas, covered a few weeks before the tarpaulin harvest. The result ? “Teas with even more powerful, highly sought-after umami flavors,” he confirms. On each plantation, he talks with the farmers, immerses himself in the fresh tea, tastes and tastes again, admitting to drinking tea from morning to evening and being able to drink up to 120 per day, and sometimes even eat it! Following in his footsteps, we marvel at the aromas of fresh tea, we taste an unexpected black tea in this region, we wander the plantations, we admire the matcha freshly ground at the stone mill, we observe the ballet of the farmers and buyers at the Shizuoka morning tea market… And we are also surprised by the age of the producers, between 50 and 80 years old. “In this country, tea cultivation has been the business of families for generations,” confirms our guide. But today there are few children who take over. » Moreover, coffee is gradually supplanting tea in Japan. Fortunately, the fashion for matcha and green tea in the West is taking over, whether drinking or eating it!

Grands crus and list of addresses on Palaisdesthes.com