greentea kanji for cha

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Why are your teas fresher than other green teas?

Q: I know the leaves are only harvested 2 or 3 times a year. And in your case you only sell first-harvest teas so it is only once a year. Why are your teas fresher?

A: Because it is when the teas are bagged, not harvested, that is most important.

After harvesting sencha and gyokuro leaves are rolled, dried naturally, packed into large square blocks and wrapped in foil. There are then carefully placed in wooden boxes and stored in a refrigerated room at a temperature of 1 degree centigrade. Humidity is strictly controlled. Gyokuro leaves are usually aged for 3 months before putting them into storage to give them a mellow, sweet taste.

First harvest teas are stored at 1 degree centigrade.

Teas stored in this manner remain remarkably fresh for a year or more. This storage method is uniformly employed by all harvesters of high quality green teas in Japan.

Teas are removed from this room, bagged, and sent to us weekly. An expiration date is on each bag you purchase. We keep a one week supply in reserve so we can ship to you within one business day.

No merchant who receives bagged teas from overseas and stores them until making a sale can match us in terms of freshness. That is why it is important to order teas shipped directly from the source.

First Harvest Teas

Sencha is harvested two to three times a year. Gyokuro is usually harvested twice a year. There is a tremendous difference in quality between teas from the first harvest and all the rest. Japanese Green Tea Online only ships first-harvest teas. First-harvest teas not only taste better they also contain more polyphenols and vitamins than second and third harvest teas.

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