JA-Hainan Youth Association, organized by young tea farmers, produced 1st flush green tea for the All-Japan competition of green tea.

At first, they tried a test processing to check how each process can affect tea leaves. Slight difference in climate can change the properties of tea leaves, such as leaf thickness due to the vigor of tea plants, hardness because of fiber content, resulting in a difference in the degree of steaming. It’s not too much to say that the steaming process decide the most of quality of Japanese green tea.
Thus, tea farmers especially give their attention to the degree of steaming and attempt to adjust the condition of steaming process.

The next process is the primary rolling and drying. In this process, tea leaves are dried with hot air while finger-like extensions roll the leaves. The young tea farmer check the change of leaves condition by touching.

The third process is 2nd rolling. This process make the moisture content even by the applied pressure. Tea farmers observe the color of stem part. The change in color from light green to deep green, almost same to leaf part, indicates the moisture distribution becomes enough uniform.

Just before I left there, the finest tea leaves for the All-Japan competition had been steamed!!

I wish they will win the award in this year too.