On the occasion of the release of the Sayama-kaori sencha from Dôsenbô, I will write a little about this cultivar here.
This is one of the few cultivars to have spread well throughout Japan from the 1970s onwards. It still accounts for 2% of the cultivated area, which is actually not as little as it seems to be, considering that there are over 120 cultivars registered, and Yabukita still represents over 70% of them. In fact, only Yutaka-midori (6%), Saemidori (4%), and Oku-midori (3%) are more widespread than it currently.
Yet Sayama-kaori is constantly decreasing, pushed towards the exit door by new cultivars, but also more simply because it is often unappreciated, wrongly in my opinion.
Although, as the name suggests, it is a representative cultivar of Sayama teas, it was actually bred in Saitama prefecture from Yabukita seeds produced in 1947 in Shizuoka. It ended up being recorded in 1971.
It is a robust, fairly productive tea plant with heavy buds. It is very resistant to cold. The picking takes place at the same time or a little before Yabukita depending on the place of cultivation.
With its somewhat dark color, and its tendency to easily develop astringency, it struggles to find supporters today when the Japanese tea industry seems to give importance only to the color of the infusion (bright green) and umami. Even in its cradle Saitama (Sayama tea), many producers now consider it only a second-rate cultivar in the face of new local stars such as Yume-wakaba, Fukumidori or Oku-haruka.
Yet Sayama-kaori possesses a strong and distinctive scent, without withering, which in my opinion makes it a valuable cultivar which today deserves, with the interest in the single origin teas and the variety of aromas, to be re-evaluated.
It remains true that all the Sayama-kaori that we find are not satisfactory, the defect (astringency) too often present, and the quality (characteristic fresh and floral fragrance) too often absent. And all the more so when it comes to fukamushi style teas from the difficult areas of the Sayama plains. Ironically, it often seems to be better suited to mountain areas, in Shizuoka for example, the cool areas suit it better than the heat of the Japanese plains.
It also seems to me that the typical aromas of Sayama-kaori do not support well a strong final roasting.
It turns out that this year I was able to get my hands on four very interesting Sayama-kaori.
First there was the one from Tomochi in Umegashima (Hon.yama, Shizuoka), a high-altitude tea whose plantation owner retired, and which I had harvested and made by another producer. Despite the somewhat late harvest, the result was (it is no longer available) far beyond my expectations.
A fukamushi from not Sayama but from another plains area in northern Tokyo, Sashima (Ibaraki) which is a good example of a Sayama-kaori from these regions.
One from Sayama, but produced with withering process.
And finally, the one from Dôsenbô, this mountain tea production region of Kyôto, in the Minami-Yamashiro village. I have been offering this producer’s Oku-midori and Kanaya-midori for years, and had been waiting for a long time for him to make his Sayama-kaori in non-shaded sencha, whereas until then he had made a tencha (unground matcha material). Here again the result is up to the task.
This is a sample that cover a variety of styles and regions of production for Sayama-kaori, all unshaded nonetheless.
Dôsenbô (Minami-Yamashiro, Kyôto prefecture)
Here, the typical scent of Sayama-kaori (typical blue flowers, like violet, etc.) is clearly identifiable, elegantly combined with fresh and green scents. There is a very slightly woody feel.
The infusion is very balanced, with a subtle astringency touch but above all a pleasant umami / mellowness mix.
Tomochi (Umegashima, Shizuoka prefecture)
With this mountain tea, the typical scents of Sayama-kaori are very strong and very easy to grasp.
The infusion is light, no astringency, slightly sweet and very fluid, but also very aromatic.
With this plain fukamushi, we change the register, and yet, here again, we notice, certainly less dense than on the previous ones, the particular floral aromas of this cultivar, with a clear sweet and mineral sensation.
The astringency here is stronger but pleasant. In fact, even if the infusion has a certain thickness, it remains quite fluid.
Sayama (Iruma, Saitama prefecture)
This last sencha is made with a withering process before steaming. Thus, we have a very dense floral scent typical of wilted teas with little or no oxidization, but in the background, we find nuances that remind us that this is a Sayama-kaori. It’s also very fresh and green.
The infusion is also very aromatic on the palate with a touch of astringency.
This tasting shows first that Sayama-kaori can definitely compete in terms of fragrance intensity and personality with some of the more popular cultivars such as Kôshun or Sôfû for example. I must admit, however, that it may still be a little less easy to access than, again, a Kôshun, or of course a much rounder Yamakai. Without being able to become the tea for everyone, it undoubtedly has the capacity to gather a number of fans. Finally, as for the withering process in fashion for a few years, in keeping with its reputation, it actually lends itself well. Nevertheless, having naturally an enough characteristic scent, it does not seem to me that withering brings something more characteristic. From this point of view, the observation is very different from that which should be made with Yume-wakaba or Fukumidori for example, for which withering is precisely what brings their distinctive aromas.
Categories: miscellaneous, Reviews
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