In February we visited Ureshino (嬉野), in Saga Prefecture (佐賀県), for a Kamairicha (釜炒り茶). In June we return to the same valley for something less expected: a Wakōcha (和紅茶), a Japanese black tea from Soejimaen (副島園), a small farm that grows its tea with few or no pesticides.

Looking downstream from Iwayagawachi Dam, Ureshino by ハポニアラ, used under CC BY 4.0 (cropped from original).

Wakōcha, a Gentle Japanese Black Tea

Wakōcha, literally "Japanese black tea", comes from the same Camellia sinensis plant as Sencha (煎茶), but the leaves are left to oxidize instead of being steamed. Most Japanese cultivars were bred for green tea, and as black tea they give a cup that is softer, lower in tannins and naturally sweeter than an Assam or a Ceylon. There is little bitterness, and no need for milk or sugar.

Soejimaen is run by Soejima Hitoshi (副島仁), deep in the mountains above Ureshino, in a hamlet of only two growers. He has been a pioneer of organic tea growing for more than twenty-five years, and this organically grown black tea is becoming one of the staples of his farm.

Hasami ware, Nishiyama by Nesnad, used under CC BY 4.0 (cropped from original).

Tea and Porcelain, Side by Side

Ureshino sits in a valley ringed by mountains, and the hills to its northwest hide one of Japan's great craft regions. About fifteen minutes away is Hasami (波佐見), in Nagasaki Prefecture (長崎県), whose sturdy Hasami ware (波佐見焼) filled ordinary Japanese kitchens for centuries. A little further lie Arita (有田) and the port of Imari (伊万里), which gave its name to Imari ware (伊万里焼).

Japanese porcelain was born in Arita. After the invasions of Korea led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉) in the 1590s, many Korean potters were brought to Japan, most of them by force. One of them, Yi Sam-pyeong (李参平), found porcelain stone at Izumiyama (泉山) around 1616 and fired the first Japanese porcelain there. By the 1660s, Dutch ships were carrying Arita porcelain to the palaces of Europe.

Izumiyama Ceramic Stone Field, Arita by Bytemarks, used under CC BY 2.0 (cropped from original).

The two crafts still go together. Ureshino's tea shops sell cups made in Hasami and Arita, and many visitors to Arita's Golden Week ceramics fair continue down the road to Ureshino's hot springs. If you own a small white yunomi (湯呑), pour this Wakōcha into it: the amber liquor glows against the porcelain.

Arita Pottery Market by そらみみ, used under CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped from original, shared under the same license).

Brewing Wakōcha

This Wakōcha brews quickly: the producer recommends a short steep to keep the cup soft and aromatic.

Tea leaves: 3g (about 1½ teaspoons)
Water: 150ml
Temperature: 90°C
Steeping time: 60 seconds

Drink it plain: the leaves are naturally sweet. You can reinfuse them two or three times at the same temperature, steeping the second infusion a little shorter and the following ones a little longer.

Wakōcha also cold-brews well, which makes it a good companion for the muggy weeks of tsuyu (梅雨), the rainy season. Use about 1g of leaves per 60ml of cold water and leave it in the fridge for six to eight hours before straining. The cup will be lighter and more floral, with no astringency.

Enjoy!