Description: Tsutsuji is hand-picked and machine processed to be shown competitively at tea fairs in Japan. Laser-focused and round on the palate with a balanced umami and sugar pea-like sweetness. A very easier brewer that exemplifies the best of Fukuoka tea.
What is so special about this tea? Teas produced specifically for competitive tea fairs in Japan are known as "Shuppin-cha" [出品茶] or "Hinpyoukai-cha" [品評会茶] and Tsutsuji is one of them. Teas of this caliber are meant to showcase the skill of the producer and while they don't make up a large percentage of the volume of a tea makers yearly sales, they are considered extremely important. Tsutsuji is a lighter steamed tea that undergoes less "hiire" than traditional Yame Sencha. The beautiful fine glossy leaves are extremely uniform and the brewed color of the tea glows in a subdued manner that exudes sophistication. The name Tsutsuji is a reference to the flower of the blooms in spring, right around the same time that this tea is harvested. Of you are looking to try one of the great teas of Kyushu, we absolutely recommend Tsutsuji.
Recommended for: One of our sweetest most refined sencha.