WAKOUCHA: BLACK TEA FROM JAPAN
The taste of this black leaf tea is truly exquisite, slightly flowery, with noticeable honey and spice undertones. The term „kou-cha” 紅茶 can be translated as „a tea of crimson colour”. Such designation was coined thanks to Japanese soft water, which would turn dark red with a hint of blue, when infused with black tea’s leaves. That’s also why, in the past, wakoucha was referred to as „red tea”. When brewed in water of medium hardness, more typical of the European countries, the tea takes on a colour of dark amber. Moya Wakoucha is cultivated and processed in the Mie region on the island of Honshu.
PROPERTIES OF WAKOUCHA
Black tea wakoucha is ideally suited as a companion for meals and desserts, the sweetness of which is subtly broken with the tea’s bitter undertones. Just as any other black tea, wakoucha, once harvested, undergoes the process of drying and fermentation, which sets it apart from green teas. The results of this process are wakoucha’s dark colour, slightly earthy flavour and reduced caffeine content, when compared to e.g. green tea sencha. Drinking black tea aids digestion system. Infusion of wakoucha can be a source of amino acids, beta carotene, folic acid, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. As there aren’t many farmers in Japan, who would decide to cultivate and process black tea, Japanese wakoucha remains an uncommon delicacy.
WAKOUCHA PREPARATION
 | VOLUME: 2-3 g / 150 ml |
|---|---|
 | TEMPERATURE: 90-95°C |
 | INFUSION TIME: 3-4 min |
 | MULTIPLE INFUSIONS: 1 |
SEE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MOYA GREEN LEAF TEAS
| SENCHA NO.21 | HOJICHA | GENMAICHA | KUKICHA | BANCHA | WAKOUCHA | |
| Ingredients: | Sencha green tea | Roasted sencha green tea leaves | Sencha green tea & grains of roasted brown rice | Stems & twigs of green tea plants | Bancha green tea | Wakoucha black tea |
| Taste: | Grassy & slightly salty flavour | Nutty-caramel | Butter-sweet flavour & nutty aroma | Delicate, sweet and slightly nutty with sea notes. | Delicate, vegetal with bitterish undertones | Lightly floral and malty |
| Color of infusion: | Greenish gold | Crimson brown | Light yellow hue | Light green | Clear yellow-green hue | Amber |
| Origin: | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Honshu Island, Japan |
| Organic certification: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Caffeine level: | High | Low | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
| Recommended usage: | Morning tea | Evening tea, recommended in macrobiotic diet | Afternoon tea, often consumed with meals | Evening tea, recommended in macrobiotic diet | All-day tea | All-day tea |
SEE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MOYA GREEN LEAF TEAS
| SENCHA NO.21 | HOJICHA | GENMAICHA | KUKICHA | BANCHA | WAKOUCHA | |
| Ingredients: | Sencha green tea | Roasted sencha green tea leaves | Sencha green tea & grains of roasted brown rice | Stems & twigs of green tea plants | Bancha green tea | Wakoucha black tea |
| Taste: | Grassy & slightly salty flavour | Nutty-caramel | Butter-sweet flavour & nutty aroma | Delicate, sweet and slightly nutty with sea notes. | Delicate, vegetal with bitterish undertones | Lightly floral and malty |
| Color of infusion: | Greenish gold | Crimson brown | Light yellow hue | Light green | Clear yellow-green hue | Amber |
| Origin: | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan | Honshu Island, Japan |
| Organic certification: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Caffeine level: | High | Low | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
| Recommended usage: | Morning tea | Evening tea, recommended in macrobiotic diet | Afternoon tea, often consumed with meals | Evening tea, recommended in macrobiotic diet | All-day tea | All-day tea |
