Recommended Infusion Guide
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Infusions
Citrus junos
Yuzu (latin name Citrus junos) is a naturally occurring cross between a Mandarin Orange and Ichang Papeda citrus. It originated around central China and Tibet and was introduced to Japan in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) where it is still cultivated today. It grows slowly, generally requiring ten years to fruit. But goodness, it's worth the wait.
Photo by Nikita, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Wakohen tea garden covers around 100 hectares of Kyushu island off the south-west coast of mainland Japan. It's run by Yasuhisa Horiguchi and his family - innovators and lovers of the soil. they don't use chemical pesticides and herbicides on their farm; a rare approach in Japan.
The family believes that the best soil produces the best tea that is best for us.
Traditional genmaicha is a blend of sencha green tea and toasted rice - this rare and exquisite tea has been enhanced with natural yuzu - a citrus fruit that's very popular in Japanese cuisine.
The yuzu comes from a small organic citrus grove close to Wakohen tea garden. The fruits are harvested and peeled by hand, and most, but not all of the pith is gently removed with a spoon.
The zest is then chopped, dried and added to the organically grown sencha along with the organically grown brown rice.
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