Different ways to enjoy Japanese tea
Stories from Ippodo staff How I enjoy Shincha
1

Being able to savour shincha while traveling is something special

2

Sharing the fragrance of the season with my children

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Enjoying the distinctive taste of each year’s shincha by preparing it in different ways

1

Production
Studying tea leaves with passion in my day-to-day work

What shincha do you recommend?

One-Pot Teabag Shincha

What do you like about it?

Cold brewing makes it easier to carry around. I love the sweet taste and fresh fragrance of shincha enjoyed while traveling.

How do you prepare it?

I put a One-Pot Teabag of shincha in a travel flask (one of Ippodo's blue travel flasks that I've used for years), and add four or five ice cubes and water. An hour later after I've arrived at my destination, it's become wonderful cold brewed shincha with just the right strength. Cold brewing brings out shincha’s sweetness, but also leaves its distinctive fragrance clearly noticeable. Being able to gulp down shincha like I would tea bought in a plastic bottle is an extravagance that I can only enjoy during this time of year.

2

Direct sales and marketing
Taking customer orders over the phone with a sincere desire to be of help

What shincha do you recommend?

Uji Shincha Small Can w/box (104g)

What do you like about it?

During this time, I put the small can of shincha in a special place in the kitchen. I don't want to store it away in my eagerness to keep it safe, and then end up accidentally forgetting about it. I make sure to drink it before it loses its distinctive, spring fragrance.

How do you prepare it?

First, I take the lid off the can, and savour the fragrance of the tea leaves. And after preparing the shincha and pouring out every last drop, I lift the lid of the kyusu and breathe it in deeply. I savour the fresh, verdant fragrance that rises up with the steam. When I close my eyes, I feel like I'm in the middle of a tea field. Memories of this fragrance come back to me, reminding me that it's that time of year again. I prepare shincha with my children to teach them about spring. I suspect it probably smells like grass or a lawn to small children, and that's fine. This fragrance of spring has a funny way of gradually becoming habit-forming.

3

Production
Serving as a ‘big brother’ who staff can rely on in the production department

What shincha do you recommend?

Uji Shincha 100g Bag

What do you like about it?

The 100-gram size allows you to fully appreciate the distinctive taste of each year's shincha by preparing it in a variety of different ways. The package is re-sealable, too, which is very convenient and ideal for storing.

How do you prepare it?

It depends on the particular properties of each year's tea, but with shincha, I really like to savour the fragrance. So I typically begin by preparing the first pot with water that's a bit hotter than usual and savouring the new shincha's heavenly fragrance. After that, I brew subsequent pots with water at room temperature to enjoy the mellow taste that the lower temperature produces.

Different ways to enjoy Japanese tea
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