It was time for an update, and even a rewrite of my old article on cultivars, the first dating from 2009 (on the French blog), despite a few minor edits. And then as a bonus I made a complete list (as much as possible) of Japanese tea cultivars with their crossbreed, year of registration and selection institution!! (to be found at the end of the article).
A cultivar is a species of tree or plant with identical genetic characteristics. The most obvious comparison for a Frenchman is of course the grape varieties of the wine, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, etc. We think of Reinette or Granny Smith in the case of apples. Or Caturra, Bourbon or Gesha for coffee.
Cultivars are an essential part of any agricultural product. They each have their own characteristics both from a taste and technical point of view responding to constraints linked to the culture itself.
Tea is no exception and there are around 150 cultivars in Japan, both officially registered and unregistered.
The tea plant is a self-incompatible plant, a mechanism that prevents the self-fertilization of the same flower or a genetically linked flower. In short, the flower of a tea plant will not be able to produce a seed with pollen from the same tea plant, or from the same cultivar (since a cultivar is genetically the same plant). So, to create and reproduce a tea cultivar, we must have two different tea plants (or two cultivars).
This point is important and it seems that it is misunderstood by many. For example, a Yabukita seed will in no way produce a Yabukita tea plant. To get another Yabukita tea tree, you have to take a cutting from it.
The creation of tea cultivars in Japan
The development of cultivars in Japan began as early as the last quarter of the 19th century. At that time, the tea industry was booming, an important export product mainly to the United States. The industry is modernizing with the beginnings of mechanization, but also with the idea of cultivar selection. This idea will not be shared by all at this time, many thinking it preferable to keep plantations of indigenous tea trees, reproduced by seeds, and therefore all different.
The beginnings of the development of cultivars were obviously made by the selection of individuals, within the native tea plants (“zairai”, all from seeds). Individuals considered interesting (resistant, productive, etc.) are selected and then reproduced by cuttings. Thus in 1906 was selected in Shizuoka by Sugiyama Hikosaburô the famous Yabukita. Later, cultivars such as Asatsuyu or Sayama-midori were selected from zairai tea plants in Uji. But at the same time, tea plants were also brought in from abroad, as in 1877 seeds from Assam brought back by Tada Motonobu and which gave birth later to the first Japanese black tea cultivar, Benihomare.
Then, from the 1920s, we began to make selections from seeds from previously selected cultivars, then to make crosses between cultivars. It is a long-term job, which takes 20 to 30 years, where a single tea tree ends up being selected from thousands, following several phases of selection and testing. Still motivated by the export of tea, productivity was an essential criterion at that time.
After the war, we turned to the domestic market. With the high growth period and the diversification of food habits, we seek to produce cultivars with more varied and original aromas. A will thus find for example Yamakai, or more recently Kôshun.
Moreover, it was not until 1953 that a list of 15 cultivars was officially registered for the first time.
Today, although declining after a peak in the 1970s, Yabukita still represents 73% of the cultivated area, followed by Yutaka-midori 6%, Saemidori 4%, Okumidori 3%, Sayama-kaori 2%, Asatsuyu 1%, Kanaya-midori 1%, all others being less than 1%.
Only slightly more than 2% of native tea trees remain from seed.
Most cultivars are developed and selected in national and prefectural research centers, but some are also the result of selection by producers.
Characteristics
What are the main characteristics taken into account in a cultivar?
– First, we have its resistance to various cold damage. Its resistance to certain pests and various diseases that affect the tea plant.
– The robustness of the shrub. Do the cuttings take well, etc.
– Its productivity. But also, the quality of the leaves, with a tendency to make leaves more or less heavy.
– The budding period, i.e., do the buds come out more or less sooner or later. Yabukita is the standard. A cultivar that grows before Yabukita is early, one that buds later is late. For a producer, this characteristic is important to be able to distribute the harvests well over time and not miss any “ideal” moment of harvest.
– Aromatic characteristics but also color. Thus, cultivars are a primary source of aromatic diversity.
– The types of tea to which they are dedicated. (See next chapter)
– More recently, certain chemical characteristics, the presence or not of molecules with particular properties (for example, the methyl catechin of Benifûki and its anti-allergic properties, etc.)
Zairai tea trees, very varied colors, shapes, level of leaf growth
Cultivar in the foreground, uniform leaves
Types of teas and cultivars
When they are registered, cultivars are classified as dedicated to this or that type of tea. “Sencha” cultivars are by far the most numerous, with more than 2/3 of the total. The categories are sencha, tamaryokucha (steamed and kama-iri type), shaded teas (tencha, gyokuro), black tea.
Of course, these are big trends (ability to tolerate shade well and to produce a lot of umami for shaded tea cultivars, a lot of tannins for black tea cultivars, etc) but there is no impossibility, it is quite possible to make a black tea with a sencha cultivar and vice versa.
Trends and development
We obviously cannot put all the cultivars in the same bag, but the big trend for 30 or 40 years (we must also take into account the very long time of selection) is to favor cultivars with a lot of umami and a beautiful green color, but also early cultivars.
Indeed, with the trend for fukamushi in particular, consumers got into the habit of believing that a sencha must have a very green and intense color (when in reality, a very limpid golden color was the mark of a well-made tea), and tastes are more and more oriented towards teas that are very easy to drink, very sweet with a lot of umami.
Also, the obsession with “shincha”, a commercial operation that no longer has any real meaning today other than symbolic, means that the teas that arrive on the market the earliest are sold at the highest price. It is therefore important to develop quality early cultivars, with the risk they represent (they are more subject to frost). The great example that is very common today is Saemidori (you will notice in the list that it enters in a large part of the newer crossbreeds). But it is still important to also have good late cultivars, an example would then be Haru-midori.
Another more recent trend is the development of cultivars well suited to the production of powdered teas, i.e., inexpensive matcha. We have Seimei.
Regionalism and unusual cultivars
The term regionalism is perhaps a little exaggerated in the case of Japan, where there is no particular restriction in the use of cultivars in such and such a region, and the very interesting cultivars (according to such and such a point of view in any case) tend to spread everywhere within the limits of climatic possibilities. Nevertheless, there are some notable facts.
– Shaded tea cultivars
It may not come as a surprise but shade tea cultivars were almost all developed in Kyoto / Uji, the main tencha (matcha) and gyokuro production region, with a very strong shade culture, even for sencha actually. The best known are Asahi (especially for tencha/matcha), Gokô (especially for gyokuro), Uji-hikari, Samidori (not to be confused with Sae-midori which comes from Kagoshima) or even Uji-midori. Most come from selection among zairai tea trees in Uji. Recently, Hôshun comes from a seed of Samidori. It is surprising to see that only a few crosses have been used there, and also that most of them have not been officially registered.
These cultivars have spread little outside this region.
Moreover, although its image is not linked to Uji, Asatsuyu comes from a selection among the zairai tea trees of Uji, just like Sayama-midori.
-Sayama
Sayama is the name given to teas from the Saitama prefecture north of Tokyo. I have written a complete article on the cultivars of this region, but I would therefore like to remind you that the research center located in Iruma gave birth to many cultivars, including Sayama-kaori which has spread throughout the country. The development of resistant tea plants is a very important criteria in Saitama, but by pure chance most are very interesting produced with a wilting process. In particular, Yume-wakaba, Fukumidori, Hokumei.
-Miyazaki
Completely unknown for tea by the public, the prefecture of Miyazaki in Kyûshû is nevertheless the 4th tea producer in Japan. His research center has in the past produced many kama-iri cha cultivars (the towns of Gokase and Takachiho are the two main producers of this rare type of tea), like Unkai, Mine-kaori, Yamanami, Tamamidori, etc.
But in recent years, Miyazaki has seen a significant amount of new sencha cultivars registered, with Kirari 31 in particular being tipped as a potential new standard alongside Yabukita and Sae-midori.
– “Inzatsu” cultivars
Again, I have written a full article on this very particular type of cultivar. Inzatsu is the abbreviation of “indo zasshu” 印度雑種 ie Indian hybrid.
At the very beginning of the 1920s, Maruo Fumio, a researcher at the Shizuoka Research Center, brought seeds of the Manipuli 15 variety from Assam, which, cross with local varieties, gave birth to Shizu-Inzatsu 131. A most interesting cultivar, it will never be registered, but by crossing with Yabukita will give birth to Sôfû and Fuji-kaori. More anecdotally, Kondô-wase is also a cross Yabukita and Inzatsu 131. Kôju, most likely comes from a seed of Inzatsu 131 too.
They often have a scent reminiscent of jasmine and grapes due to a high rate of methyl anthranilic acid.
This type of “inzatsu” should not be confused with those called “Tada-kei inzatsu”, whose origin is different and older.
– Tada-kei inzatsu and black tea cultivars
In 1875-6, Tada Motonobu was sent to China and then to India, in charge of studying the production of black tea there and bringing back seeds from local tea plants. He brings back seeds of assamica tea trees, which planted in Japan will be at the origin (among others) of the first Japanese cultivar of black tea Beni-homare. This one is the parent of Benifûki, but also of Izumi. Cultivars descended from seeds brought back by Tada are called “Tada-kei inzatsu”.
There have also been several waves of introduction of foreign varieties, and not all black tea cultivars are necessarily descended from “tada-kei inzatsu”. In addition, there were also seeds brought back from China (one finds among its descendants Asanoka, Oku-hikari, Karabeni, Yamanami), and even from the Caucasus (at the origin of Minami-Sayaka).
In 1953, among the first 15 cultivars registered, there were no less than 5 black tea varieties. At that time, Japan still hoped to make black tea an export product. This having remained unsuccessful, the various measures aimed at promoting Japanese black tea abroad ended in 1970, and with them the bulk of black tea production. The development of black tea cultivars also stops, Beni-hikari registered in 1969 will not spread, and Benifûki, registered in 1993 will be the last.
– The famous Shizu-7000 series
This is a series of cultivars selected at the Shizuoka Research Center from Yabukita seeds (the pollinator is unknown) recorded in the late 1960s. They are Yamakai (Shizu-7166), Suruga-wase (Shizu-7109), Kurasawa (Shizu-7111), and Fuji-midori (Shizu-7224). All varieties with strong characteristics to which must be added, Shizu-7132, not officially registered. With its incredible cherry leaf scent (due to a high coumarin content) and its relatively strong umami, it seems surprising today that it was not recorded. The reasons are multiple, first with very heavy shoots, it tends to give very red leaves on summer harvests and to have too dark an infusion color. Also, in plains area it tends to give too much astringency. From the point of view of the harvest period, it falls at the same time as Kurasawa. From a qualitative and aromatic point of view, there were already Yamakai and Fuji-midori.
Today, Shizu-7132 is very popular, as well as Yamakai, long neglected because of its too particular perfume. Until recently, we also wanted a cultivar to be easy to blend with other teas.
However, the renewed interest in tea through single original teas since the 2010s, highlights cultivars hitherto little known or even presented by sellers. While newer cultivars are obviously watched closely, I think many older ones, like Yamakai, deserve to be re-evaluated.
Registered sencha cultivar:
Name | Selection | Name registration | Cultivar registration | Selection facility |
Asatsuyu | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | National research center (Kanaya) | |
Miyoshi | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | National research center (Kanaya) | |
Sayama-midori | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | Saitama prefectural research center | |
Yabukita | Shizuoka indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | Shizuoka prefectural research center | |
Makinohara-wase | Shizuoka indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | Shizuoka prefectural research center | |
Koyanishi | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | Shizuoka prefectural research center | |
Rokurô | Indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | Shizuoka prefectural research center | |
Yamato-midori | Nara indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | Nara prefectural research center | |
Natsu-midori | Shizuoka indigenous tea tree seed | 1954 | National research center (Kanaya) | |
Yaeho | Shizuoka indigenous tea tree seed | 1954 | Shizuoka prefectural research center | |
Hatsu-midori | Seed from Mie | 1954 | Kagoshima prefectural research center | |
Oku-musashi | Sayama-midori x Yamato-midori | 1962 | Saitama prefectural research center | |
Kanaya-midori | S6 x Yabukita | 1970 | National research center (Kanaya) | |
Sayama-kaori | Seed from Yabukita | 1971 | Saitama prefectural research center | |
Oku-midori | Yabukita x Shizu zai #6 | 1974 | National research center (Kanaya) | |
Toyoka | Sayama-midori x Yabukita | 1976 | Saitama prefectural research center | |
Hoshino-midori | Fukuoka indigenous tea tree seed | 1981 | 井上十二生 Inoue ?? | |
Oku-yutaka | Yutaka-midori x F1NN8 (Tama-midori x S6) | 1983 | 1983 | National research center (Kanaya) |
Tsukasa-midori | Shizuoka indigenous tea tree seed | 1984 | Yamazaki Yûji | |
Takane-wase | Yabukita seed | 1985 | 村松穂一 Muramatsu ?? | |
Satô-wase | Abe #1 seed | 1986 | Satô Mitsuteru | |
Meiryoku | Yabukita x Z1 | 1986 | 1987 | National research center (Kanaya) |
Oku-hikari | Yabukita x Shizu-Cy225 | 1987 | Shizuoka prefecture | |
Fukumidori | Yabukita x 23F1107 (Sayama-midori x Yabukita) | 1986 | 1988 | Saitama prefectural research center |
Inaguchi | Yabukita seed | 1988 | Inaguchi Katsutoshi | |
Shunmei | Yutaka-midori x F1NN8 | 1988 | 1990 | National research center (Kanaya) |
Minami-kaori | Yabukita x Miya-A11 | 1988 | 1990 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Sae-midori | Yabukita x Asatsuyu | 1990 | 1991 | National research center (Makurazaki) |
Fûshun | Z1 x Kanaya-midori | 1991 | 1993 | National research center (Kanaya) |
Minami-sayaka | Miya A-6 (Takachiho x Miya F1 9-4-48) x F1NN27 | 1991 | 1994 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Hokumei | Sayama-midori x 5507 (Yabukita seed) | 1992 | 1995 | Saitama prefectural research center |
Sawa-mizuka | Yabukita x Fuji-midori | 1995 | Shizuoka prefectural research center | |
Mine-yutaka | Yabukita sport | 1996 | Matsushita Ei.ichi | |
Shôju | Kurita-wase sport | 1996 | Matsushita Ei.ichi | |
Marishi | Sugiyama-Yaeho seed | 1996 | Yamamori Miyoshi & Yamamori Risao | |
Mie-ryokuhô #1 | Yabukita seed | 1996 | Mie prefectural research center | |
Asanoka | Yabukita x Cp1 | 1996 | Kagoshima prefectural research center | |
Fuji-kaori | Shizu-inzatsu 131 x Yabukita | 1996 | Morizono Ichiji & Koyanagi Mitsuyoshi | |
Yama-no-ibuki | Yabukita seed | 1997 | Shizuoka prefectural research center | |
Sagara-hikari | Yabukita seed | 1998 | Nakamura Magoichi | |
Sagara-midori | Yabukita seed | 1998 | Nakamura Magoichi | |
Kôshun | Kurasawa x Kanaya-midori | 2000 | Shizuoka prefectural research center | |
Sagara-kaori | Yabukita seed | 2000 | Nakamura Magoichi | |
Sagara-wase | Yabukita seed | 2000 | Nakamura Magoichi | |
Ryôfû | Hôryoku x Yabukita | 1997 | 2001 | National research center (Kanaya) |
Musashi-kaori | Yabukita x Sai-27F1-73 (Sayama-midori x Yingzhi-hongxin seed) | 1997 | 2001 | Saitama prefectural research center |
Saki-midori | F1NN27 x ME52 | 1997 | 2001 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Midori-no-hoshi | Yabukita seed | 2001 | Nakamura Magoichi | |
Ryokufû | Natural crossbreed seed | 2002 | Shiratori Toshio | |
Haru-midori | Kanaya-midori x Yabukita | 2000 | 2003 | National research center (Makurazaki) |
Tsuyu-hikari | Shizu-7132 x Asatsuyu | 2003 | Shizuoka prefectural research center | |
Mie-uejima | Zairai tea tree seed | 2003 | 上嶋親 Uejima ?? | |
Sôfû | Yabukita x Shizu-inzatsu 131 | 2002 | 2005 | National research center (Kanaya) |
Sai-no-midori | Sayama-midori seed | 2003 | 2006 | Saitama prefectural research center |
Haru-moegi | F1NN27 x ME52 | 2003 | 2006 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Miyama-kaori | Kyôken 283 x Saitama #1 | 2003 | 2006 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Kiraka | Yabukita sport | 2006 | Takeuchi Kiyomi, Takeuchi Tadayoshi | |
Yume-wakaba | Yabukita x Saitama #9 | 2006 | 2008 | Saitama prefectural research center |
Haru-no-nagomi | Saitama #1 x Miyazaki #8 | 2012 | 2008 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Hôsai-nishiki | Zairai tea tree seed | 2008 | Yoshino Sei.ichi | |
Yume-kaori | Sayama-kaori x Miyazaki #8 | 2006 | 2009 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Kanaya-ibuki | Sayama-kaori x Marishi | 2009 | 水野昭南 Mizuno ?? | |
Kanaya-homare | Sayama-kaori x Marishi | 2009 | 水野昭南 Mizuno ?? | |
Sae-akari | Z1 x Sae-midori | 2012 | 2010 | National research center (Makurazaki) |
Nagomi-yutaka | Saitama #1 x Kyôken 283 | 2012 | 2010 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Shuntarô | Saitama #9 x Makura-F1-33422 | 2011 | National research center (Makurazaki) | |
Yume-suruga | Oku-hikari x Yabukita | 2012 | Shizuoka prefecture | |
Kibo-no-me | 2012 | 水野昭南 Mizuno ?? | ||
Shizu-kaori | Oku-hikari x Kurita-wase | 2013 | Shizuoka prefecture | |
Nanmei | Sayama-kaori x Makurazaki #13 | 2014 | National research center (Makurazaki) | |
Oku-haruka | Saitama #20 x Saitama #7 | 2015 | Saitama prefectural research center | |
Kirari 31 | Saki-midori x Sae-midori | 2016 | Miyazaki prefectural research center | |
Haruto 34 | Sae-midori x Saki-midori | 2020 | Miyazaki prefectural research center | |
Kiyoka | FYZ41 x Sae-midori | 2020 | National research center (Makurazaki) | |
Seimei | Fûshun x Sae-midori | 2020 | National research center (Makurazaki) | |
Kanaemaru | Kana F183 x Kanaya #13 | 2020 | National research center (Kanaya) | |
Danshin 37 | Sae-midori x Yume-kaori | 2021 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Registered kamairi-cha cultivars:
Name | Selection | Name registration | Cultivar registration | Selection facility |
Tama-midori | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | National research center (Kanaya) | |
Takachiho | Miyazaki indigenous tea tree seed | 1953 | Miyazaki prefectural research center | |
Izumi | Beni-homare seed | 1960 | Kyûshû research center | |
Yamanami | Seed from Hubei (China) | 1965 | Miyazaki prefectural research center | |
Unkai | Takachiho x Miya-F1 9-4-48 | 1970 | Miyazaki prefectural research center | |
Minekaori | Yabukita x Unkai | 1988 | 1990 | Miyazaki prefectural research center |
Registered gyokuro / tencha (matcha) cultivars:
Name | Selection | Name registration | Cultivar registration | Selection facility |
Asagiri | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 1954 | Kyôto prefectural research center | |
Kyô-midori | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 1954 | Kyôto prefectural research center | |
Hime-midori | Fukuoka indigenous tea tree seed | 1960 | Kyûshû research center | |
Terakawa-wase | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 1990 | Terakawa Toshio | |
Narino | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 2002 | Horii Nobuo | |
Oku-no-yama | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | 2002 | Horii Nobuo | |
Hôshun | Samidori seed | 2006 | Kyôto prefectural research center | |
Tenmyô | Samidori seed | 2006 | Kyôto prefectural research center |
Registered black tea cultivars:
Name | Selection | Name registration | Cultivar registration | Selection facility |
Beni-homare | Tada-kei Assam seed | 1953 | National research center (Kanaya) | |
Indo | Seed from india | 1953 | Kagoshima prefectural research center | |
Hatsu-momiji | Ai2 x NkaO5 | 1953 | Kagoshima prefectural research center | |
Beni-tachiwase | Ai2 x NkaO1 | 1953 | Kagoshima prefectural research center | |
Akane | Ai2 x NkaO3 | 1953 | Kagoshima prefectural research center | |
Beni-kaori | Ai21 x NkaO3 | 1960 | Kagoshima prefectural research center | |
Beni-fuji | Beni-homare x C19 | 1960 | National research center (Kanaya) | |
Satsuma-beni | Nka03 x Ai18 | 1960 | Kagoshima prefectural research center | |
Beni-hikari | Beni-kaori x CN1 | 1969 | National research center (Makurazaki) | |
Benifûki | Beni-homare x Makura-Cd86 | 1993 | 1995 | National research center (Makurazaki) |
Registered others:
Name | Selection | Name registration | Cultivar registration | Selection facility |
Abrégé | ||||
Sun-rouge | Camelia taliensis and camelia sinensis hybrid seed | 2011 | National research center (Makurazaki) |
Non-registered
Name | Selection | Tea type | Selection | Selection facility |
Hôryoku | Tada-kei Assam seed | sencha | 1956 | Shizuoka prefectural research center |
Suruga-wase | Yabukita seed | sencha | 1962 | Shizuoka prefectural research center |
Fuji-midori | Yabukita seed | sencha | 1962 | Shizuoka prefectural research center |
Kurita-wase | Shizuoka indigenous tea tree seed | sencha | 1966 | Kagoshima prefectural research center |
Yutaka-midori (Y2) | Asatsuyu seed | sencha | 1966 | National research center (Kanaya) |
Yamakai | Yabukita seed | sencha | 1967 | Shizuoka prefectural research center |
Kurasawa | Yabukita seed | sencha | 1967 | Shizuoka prefectural research center |
Shizu-7132 | Yabukita seed | sencha | 1967 | Shizuoka prefectural research center |
Ooi-wase | Yaeho x Yabukita | sencha | 1976 | Shizuoka prefectural research center |
Gokô | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | Gyokuro-tencha | 1954 | Kyôto prefectural research center |
Uji-hikari | Kyôto indigenous tea tree | Gyokuro-tencha | 1954 | Kyôto prefectural research center |
Asahi | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | Gyokuro-tencha | 1954 | Kyôto prefectural research center |
Komakage | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | Gyokuro-tencha | 1954 | Kyôto prefectural research center |
Samidori | Kyôto indigenous tea tree | Gyokuro-tencha | 1954 | Kyôto prefectural research center |
Ogura-midori | Kyôto indigenous tea tree | Gyokuro-tencha | 1954 | Kyôto prefectural research center |
Uji-midori | Uji indigenous tea tree seed | Gyokuro-tencha | 1985 | Kyôto prefectural research center |
Karabeni | Seed from Hubei (China) | Thé noir | 1956 | Shizuoka prefectural research center |
Tada-nishiki | Graine de Assam Tada-kei | Thé noir | 1958 | Shizuoka prefectural research center |
Beni-tsukuba | Ibaraki indigenous tea tree | Thé noir | 1958 | Makabe research center (Ibaraki) |
Beni-ibara | Sayama-midori seed | Thé noir | Kimura Noboru | |
Kondô-wase | Yabukita x Sôfû | Sencha | Kondô Hiromasa | |
Kôju | Inzatsu type | Kama-iri cha | Takahashi Tatsuji | |
Kominami | Sencha | |||
Shigeru #2 | Sencha | |||
Misaki | Ibaraki indigenous tea tree | Sencha | Yoshida Masahiro | |
Kogane-midori | Sport | Sencha | Satô Mitsuhiro | |
Z1 | Tamamidori seed | Sencha |
Categories: Uncategorized
Thank you, Florent. Super informative as usual.
Gerry Sloan
Merci Florent…..superbe
You’re welcome. The list was fun to made.
Wow! This is amazing. It is so readable and informative. Thank you very much.
Thank you. The list was long but fun to make.
This was very enjoyable to read. Now I know a little bit more about my favorite cultivar—Fuji-kaori. Thank you.