Visiting a tea farm in Kagoshima, Japan
Four years ago, Elisa Da Rin Puppel moved to Tokyo, Japan. The Italian tea enthusiast and blogger (Tealisa) has an academic background in Japanese art with a focus on ceramics but her passion for tea blossomed later on. “I acquired a deep knowledge of Japanese pottery but I knew almost nothing about what was served in those beautiful vessels,” she admits.
Her friend Jurga, the very knowledgeable tea enthusiast behind the blog Prima Infusione, played a key role in introducing her to tea. She also helped her get a job at Kusmi Tea in Milan, Italy, from where she later moved on to working at Dammann Frères tea store.
Elisa loves tea “because it offers a long-lasting taste experience”. I had never thought of it this way, how inspiring! “I’m Italian and I grew up surrounded by the Italian ‘espresso culture’, which means getting a shot of espresso while standing at the counter,” she explains. “Tea needs time: time to taste, time to think and time for yourself. When I go to my favorite tea places, I always bring my journal and a pen with me. Sipping tea is the perfect way to get inspired, clear my mind and do some journaling,” she adds.
When she moved to Tokyo, the local tea culture was surprisingly different than what she had expected. “When I moved here, I discovered that very few people have loose-leaf tea at home, teapots and chawans (matcha bowls) are not common and the largest amount of green tea consumed comes in plastic bottles sold at the ubiquitous vending machines,” she explains.
The most popular way to enjoy tea in Japan today seems to be similar to British afternoon tea, with Darjeeling or Earl Grey teas served with a dash of milk in European-style porcelain teaware. “When I moved here, I began to appreciate the European way to drink tea more than the traditional Japanese,” she admits.
Nonetheless, visiting a Japanese tea farm has always been a dream of hers and last September that dream finally came true. Elisa was invited to visit Wakoen tea farm in Kagoshima after trying and reviewing their Fukamushicha (deep-steamed green tea) on her blog a few years ago. “When I visited Wakoen Tea farm, I was taken to the tea fields and then to the processing facility where I saw the whole process, from harvest to packaging,” Elisa recalls. “The tea plants were ready for the fourth and final flush, from which mostly bancha is made. Getting to see firsthand what goes into making tea helped me appreciate my beloved beverage even more. There is such a tremendous amount of work and effort behind every single tea leaf!”.
But what makes Wakoen and their tea so special? “Their incredible deep aroma. After several years working in the tea industry and four years in Japan, Wakoen tea, especially their Fukumushicha, were an incredible discovery for me. I’ve never found such a strong and unforgettable taste in any other green tea before,” she adds. Good news for tea enthusiasts who want to visit. Wakoen offers tours of the tea fields open to the general public, and a tea and food experience in the restaurant close by with a selection of tea-infused Japanese dishes.
On their website the term Arabikicha caught my attention, so I had to ask Elisa about it. “Arabikicha looks like matcha - powdered green tea - but it is made from a regular sencha, so the powder is a little bit coarse and it tastes a little bitter… but it is absolutely fantastic as an ingredient for cakes, ice creams and other recipes with tea! I tasted the Arabikicha ice-cream at their shop… absolutely fantastic!,” she explains.
Thank you, Elisa for sharing with us such a lovely experience and beautiful photos!
Find out more about Elisa and Wakoen tea below.
Elisa Da Rin Puppel
IG: Tealisa
FB: Tealisa
Prima Infusione blog
Disclaimer: I was not paid to mention products or services in this blog post. All photos in this blog post were taken by Elisa Da Rin Puppel and used with her permission.
