{"title":"Japan","description":"Song’s small collection of tea from Japan feature aged matcha, time smoothed and lacking the sharp angles and tannins of new leaves.","products":[{"product_id":"matcha-whisk","title":"Matsuo-ryū Naka-Araho Whisk","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs in sword-making, the weight of a chasen’s handle to tines is a mark of true craftsmanship. This striking tea whisk is an extraordinary example from the Matsuo-ryū tea making tradition, an esoteric twelfth generation tea ceremony school based in Nagoya, Japan, founded by a student of Takeno Joo, Sen-no-Rikyu's teacher.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaller than standard tea whisks, the Matsuo-ryū Naka-Araho is primarily used for koicha, or thick teas. Individually crafted for the current Matsuo-ryū tea school per request, these whisks are quite difficult to come by. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Please note that handmade items are inherently unique. The whisk you receive may vary slightly from the picture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProper Care: prepare whisk for use by dampening in warm water to relax the bamboo fronds. To clean, simply whisk in a bowl of warm water, without soap or detergent. Store upright.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Song Tea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50783040143573,"sku":"m-whisk-2024-002","price":98.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1728\/6899\/files\/large_whisk_1.jpg?v=1733072348"},{"product_id":"japanese-matcha-tea-kirari-31","title":"Kirari 31 Matcha","description":"\u003cp\u003eTime can move slowly in Japan. Reverence for the past means innovations in heritage practices seem, at times, an exception, with craftsman eschewing tradition in pursuit of new and experimental conventions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTea making has been a primary trade in the Tsukigase region of Nara for millennia. But sencha has long been the main crop in this area, until an 11th generation tea farmer recognized this rich, red soiled earth, fed by hillside streams and protected by a copse of larger trees, as prime ground for cultivating tencha (the base green tea from which matcha is ground), challenging decades of tradition and gambling on two new cultivars of the Saemidori pollen plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKirari 31 is one of this tea maker’s first experiments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe trees of these Kirari 31 tea plants are in their first years of harvest, planted a mere 6 years ago. Tsukigase is subject to extreme temperature changes from morning to evening during the spring harvest season, a boon for the natural sugars accumulating in the leaves, but a phenomenon that can leave new buds vulnerable to sun damage and callusing. To mitigate this, each tightly planted row plants is wrapped in thick tarping after the last of the new buds appear on the trees, protecting these delicate leaves from direct sunlight and maintaining their tender structure up until harvest, about 25 days later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePost-harvest, these leaves are steamed in a brick oven, a slow process that accommodates just 20kg of tea per hour. Following this kill green, veins and stems are removed, leaving just the most tender elements of the leaf to be ground into fine matcha powder. This final element is only done at the very last moment, to prevent excess oxidation and keep the flavor of the tea vibrant and fresh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final product is a matcha with youthful vivacity, brewing as brightly as its name suggests (Kirari 31 is a play on words translating to “a momentary flash of light”). This delicious Japanese matcha green tea is beautifully presented in a 20g paulownia wood box, or available as a refill pack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn storage: Ground matcha has considerable surface area and poses a risk of inadvertent oxidization. Please refrigerate while not in use. Allow package to come to room temperature before preparing. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Song Tea","offers":[{"title":"20g Canister","offer_id":52156699181269,"sku":"m-0003-20g","price":58.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20g Refill (sans canister)","offer_id":52156699214037,"sku":"m-0003-refill-20g","price":52.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1728\/6899\/files\/kiari_box1.jpg?v=1779559046"},{"product_id":"seimei-japanese-matcha","title":"Seimei Matcha","description":"\u003cp\u003eTime can move slowly in Japan. Reverence for the past means innovations in heritage practices seem, at times, an exception, with craftsman eschewing tradition in pursuit of new and experimental conventions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTea making has been a primary trade in the Tsukigase region of Nara for millennia. But sencha has long been the main crop in this area, until an 11th generation tea farmer recognized this rich, red soiled earth, fed by hillside streams and protected by a copse of larger trees, as prime ground for cultivating tencha (the base green tea from which matcha is ground), challenging decades of tradition and gambling on two new cultivars of the Saemidori pollen plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeimei, along with Kirari 31, is one of this tea maker’s first experiments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe trees of the Matcha Seimei tea plants are in their first years of harvest, planted a mere 5 years ago. Tsukigase is subject to extreme temperature changes from morning to evening during the spring harvest season, a boon for the natural sugars accumulating in the leaves, but a phenomenon that can leave new buds vulnerable to sun damage and callusing. To mitigate this, each tightly planted row plants is wrapped in thick tarping after the last of the new buds appear on the trees, protecting these delicate leaves from direct sunlight and maintaining their tender structure up until harvest, about 25 days later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePost-harvest, these leaves are steamed in a brick oven, a slow process that accommodates just 20kg of tea per hour. Following this kill green, veins and stems are removed, leaving just the most tender elements of the leaf to be ground into fine matcha powder. This final element is only done at the very last moment, to prevent excess oxidation and keep the flavor of the tea vibrant and fresh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final product showcases a maturity of flavor and character that belies its youth. Freshly whisked, this ground matcha lingers on the palate, revealing depths in character and flavor that continue long after each sip. This delicious Japanese matcha green tea is beautifully presented in a 20g paulownia wood box, or available as a refill pack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn storage: Ground matcha has considerable surface area and poses a risk of inadvertent oxidization. Please refrigerate while not in use. Allow package to come to room temperature before preparing. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Song Tea","offers":[{"title":"20g Canister","offer_id":52157315612885,"sku":"m-0004-20g","price":68.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20g Refill (sans canister)","offer_id":52157315645653,"sku":"m-0004-refill-20g","price":62.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1728\/6899\/files\/seimei_box1.jpg?v=1779559097"}],"url":"https:\/\/songtea.mom\/collections\/japan.oembed","provider":"Song Tea \u0026 Ceramics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}