Kamairicha (釜炒り茶)

Most Japanese green tea is steamed soon after it is picked. In the mountain towns of northern Miyazaki, the fresh leaves meet hot iron instead. They are tossed in a pan hot enough to hiss, and the tea that comes out smells faintly toasty and sweet, a little like warm grain. That tea is kamairicha. Only a small amount is made in Japan, yet in the mountains where it grows, it is simply the everyday tea. Kamairicha (釜炒り茶) is a Japanese green tea that is pan-fired rather than steamed to stop the leaves from oxidizing. It brews a clear, golden-yellow cup with a clean taste, little astringency and a gentle toasty aroma called kamaka. In this guide, you’ll learn what the name means, how the pan-firing works, the two traditional pan styles, where kamairicha is made today, and how to brew it at home. The short answer Kamairicha is pan-fired Japanese green tea. Fresh leaves are heated in a very hot iron pan instead of being steamed, then rolled and dried into loose curls. It is still a green tea, not a roasted one like hojicha. Miyazaki Prefecture produces the most kamairicha in Japan, and the tea tastes clean and refreshing, with a light toasty aroma. TOCWhat Is Kamairicha? Kamairicha is an...