Syunpou Chaen is a tea company, which blends and refines crude teas brought from tea estates in Shizuoka and sells teas and related products in the retail shops. The retail shop of Syunpou Chaen locates inside the mall “Saclass Totsuka” in Kanagawa prefecture.
The appearance of the retail shop of Syunpou Chaen in Saclass Totsuka.
This company seems to have a special mind for roasting tea. The retail shop has the roast machine inside for processing Hojicha.
When I enter the mall, a toasty aroma came into my nose and the aroma became stronger as closer to the shop. The staff keep processing Hojicha in the retail shop to provide fresh Hojicha for customers.
We can enjoy a cup of Hojicha roasted green tea with some sweets of tea under the mellow fragrance of roast.
The sweet aroma derived from roasting tea implies its richness in amino acids and reducing sugar, as posted before. Roasting tea can generate various aroma compounds such as 2-acetylfran, 4-methylfurfural [226], alkylpyrazines [227, 228] through amino carbonyl reaction, so-called Milliard reaction. Besides, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine has an effect to improve blood fluidity[231].
Aroma compounds derived from firing of green tea.
Hojicha made by Syunpou Chaen still has rich umami enough to satisfy my requirement after roasting. In addition, its mellow texture would indicate higher content of polysaccharides. I guess the tea farmers supplying crude teas to Syunpou Chaen cultivate tea plants in strict management and pluck tea shoots in the best timing.
Syunpou Chaen attaches great significance to plucking time. It is described that Syunpou Chaen selects crude teas based on not only tasting but also plucking day as described on the picture in the shop.
According to some tea farmers’ opinions, the quality of tea shoots would be the best for deep steamed green tea when fifth leaf opens in the first flush season, indicating the importance of plucking day. Just in my speculation, tea shoots at such timing has a well-balanced harmony of amino acids and polysaccharides, which represents umami and texture respectively.
As posted previously, the infusion of Hojicha made by Syunpou Chaen has a clean liquor color of beautiful amber.
Lately cool days, I often take a thermos filled in Hot Hojicha to the office, walking, brief trips etc. Color and flavor of Hojicha would add satisfactions on various occasions!
< Shop information >
- Shop : Syunpou Chaen
- Venue : 1st floor in Saclass Totsuka
- Address : 4253-1, Totsukacho, Totsuka ward, Yokohama city, Kanagawa pref.
- Access : It takes approx.5 minutes’ walk from the Totsuka station of JR line.
— References —
[226] Hara T., Kubota E. (1970) : Volatile Compounds of Roasted Green Tea Part 1. Carbonyl Compounds, Tea Research Journal, 32:62-66.
[227] Mizuami Y., Sawai Y., Yamaguchi Y. (2008) : Analysis of Key Odorants in Roasted Green Tea, Tea Research Journal, 105:43-46.
[228] Nakada N., Hara T., Isogaya K., Urushibata M. (1988) : Firing Process of Tea by Far-Infrared Radiation, Tea Research Journal 68:14-21.
[231] Suganuma H., Inakuma T., Kikuchi Y. (2002) : Amelioratory Effect of Barley Tea Drinking on Blood Fluidity, Journal of Nutrient Science and Vitaminology 48:165-168.