The purpose is not to keep the leaves warm, but to block direct sunlight. When the leaves are exposed to sunlight, the amino acid theanine turns into catechin. Blocking the sunlight suppresses this change in composition. This is a traditional cultivation method (cultivation under cover) that has been used since the late Muromachi period, reducing the increase in catechin, the bitter component, and preserving theanine, the umami component.
Late frosts are common during the new tea season, and temperatures drop below freezing near the ground surface temporarily. When this happens, the moisture in the leaves freezes, which can cause the new buds to wither. For this reason, fans are used to blow warm air from the sky down to the ground to prevent frost.
You can buy Uji tea in various places such as convenience stores, supermarkets, and mail order, but we recommend purchasing it from a Uji tea specialty store. We also recommend tasting the teas to find your favorite one, and asking the store staff how to brew them. (Please ask the store if tasting is available.)
The tea we purchase from tea producers is in the form of "rough tea," which includes the leaves called "honcha" and the hardened stems, powder, and leaves called "demono." We sort each of these from the "rough tea" and create "gogumi" (mixtures) of different honcha teas to create tea that suits the customer's taste. We then ship the tea to our customers in various locations.
Until the Meiji period, there was Oguraike Pond (now reclaimed land) in southern Kyoto Prefecture, and tea production was introduced to Uji, the area surrounding the pond, during the Kamakura period. With the advancement of tea-making technology, tea production has spread to southern and northern Kyoto Prefecture, and even to neighboring prefectures. Tea wholesalers that purchase and process this tea are operating within Kyoto Prefecture.
The Ocha Tsubo Dochu was an event that was like a feudal lord's procession, carrying tea packed in tea jars from Uji to the Shogun family in Edo, and continued from the beginning of the Edo period to the end of the Edo period. The tea jars contained tencha, the raw material for matcha, which was ground into matcha after arriving in Edo.
Since the beginning of the Heisei era, as food regulations have advanced, the Kyoto Prefectural Tea Association, a member organization of the Japan Tea Association, decided on the definition of Uji tea in 2004, in accordance with the "Green Tea Labeling Standards" established by the Japan Tea Association, a nationwide organization. The definition of Uji tea is as follows: "Uji tea is tea produced in the four prefectures of Kyoto, Nara, Shiga, and Mie, which have developed together as the Uji tea region, taking into account a comprehensive view of history, culture, geography, climate, etc., and is finished and processed within Kyoto Prefecture by a company within Kyoto Prefecture. However, priority shall be given to tea produced within Kyoto Prefecture."
The association is made up of tea producers and tea distributors from within Kyoto Prefecture, and has been working to maintain and popularize the quality of Uji tea since the Meiji era. Recently, the association has focused on preserving and promoting the culture of Uji tea.
It was believed that eating the first food harvested that year would lead to a long life, and it was highly valued as "first fruits." The 88th day is the season for new tea, and it has long been drunk throughout the country as one of the "first fruits." New tea harvested around this time (especially sencha) is rich in aroma and full of umami.
Tea contains caffeine, which may have an effect. However, it seems that not everyone who drinks tea has trouble sleeping. It depends on your physical condition and there are individual differences.