Sencha Zairai

Zairai (在来) refers to native tea plants grown from seed, rather than from cuttings of a single named cultivar. Because each seed-grown bush is genetically distinct, a zairai field is a living mix of plants, and the tea it produces has a depth and complexity no single cultivar can replicate.

Today, zairai tea is increasingly rare in Japan, as most farms have replanted with modern cultivars. Ours is from Yame, Fukuoka, on Kyushu island.

Fall Shincha begins as spring's first-flush harvest, then spends the summer resting in deep cold storage. This slow aging, called Jukusei (熟成), gives the amino acids time to deepen while the catechins and aromatic compounds soften and come together, so the tea tastes rounder, sweeter, and more harmonious.