About the Nakamura Tea Brand - Nakamura Tokichi Honten (Main Store)

Nakamura-cha

What Is Nakamura-cha?

Nakamura-cha (Nakamura Tea) is a tea blend available only at Nakamura Tokichi. In the tea environment and terminology, the special term, “gogumi,” means as much as "to blend". To produce Nakamura-cha, we have blended seven types of Japanese green tea, including sencha and gyokuro, through the process of gogumi by the standards of our secret ratios to allow everyone to easily brew a good cup of tea. Because Nakamura-cha is composed of various types of tea, different flavours can be enjoyed just by changing the water temperature. The charm of Nakamura-cha lies in its elegant flavour, composed of a mixture of the good aspects of the various types of tea. No single type of tea can render such a flavour; it became only possible by mixing the flavours of different types of tea.

Quality Differences

With Nakamura-cha, you can enjoy a variety of different flavours just by changing the water temperature.

Sweetness

[High]Rather plain and just as strong as the bitterness and astringency. Sweetness hardly remains in the aftertaste.

[Low]The mellow sweetness and richness of gyokuro stands out. Sweetness overpowers the bitterness and astringency.

Deliciousness (umami)

[High]Rather plain without thickness. Mingles nicely with the bitterness and astringency and cannot be felt obviously.

[Low]One may feel the deliciousness (umami) of gyokuro and tencha. Sensed thick over the tongue for a while but soon disappears.

Bitterness and Astringency

[High]Not as strong as sencha. Soft, full-bodied and plain overall. There is little harshness.

[Low]Not very obvious. Sweetness overpowers the bitterness and astringency as with kabusecha.

Aroma

[High]The aroma of tencha stands out. This becomes more obvious as the tea matures. The fresh aroma of sencha flows through the nose towards the end.

[Low]One may slightly sense the oika (aroma from covering) of tencha and gyokuro in addition to a kabuseka (aroma from overlaying). Not clear or sharp but soft and full-bodied.

How to Make Good Cups of Tea (for two)

To Bring Out Sweetness

Tea Leaves
10g
Water Temperature
60℃
Water Amount
200-300ml
Waiting Time
60 seconds

(1) Pour boiling water into your cups and tea pot to warm them up and at the same time lower the water temperature. Each time you transfer the hot water to a different vessel, the temperature can by lowered by approximately 10 degrees.
(2) Insert 8 g (approx. 2 teaspoons) of tea leaves in the tea pot. Slowly pour 200 ml of hot water at 60 °C.
(3) Wait for about 90 seconds without moving the tea pot. Alternately pour the tea little by little into several cups (to distribute the tea evenly). Pour until the last drop and leave the lid of the tea pot open.
(4) For the second round and on, serve without waiting after pouring hot water in the tea pot.

To Accentuate Bitterness

Tea Leaves
10g
Water Temperature
80℃
Water Amount
200-300ml
Waiting Time
30 seconds

(1) Pour boiling water into your cups and tea pot to warm them up and at the same time lower the water temperature. Each time you transfer the hot water to a different vessel, the temperature can by lowered by approximately 10 degrees.
(2) Insert 8 g (approx. 2 teaspoons) of tea leaves in the tea pot. Slowly pour 200 ml of hot water at 80 °C.
(3) Wait for about 40 seconds without moving the tea pot. Alternately pour the tea little by little into several cups (to distribute the tea evenly). Pour until the last drop and leave the lid of the tea pot open.
(4) For the second round and on, serve without waiting after pouring hot water in the tea pot.

To Make It More Mellow: Cold Brewing

Tea Leaves
10g
Water Temperature
Cold
Water Amount
200ml
Water Amount
10-15 minutes

(1) Insert 10 g (slightly more than 2 teaspoons) of tea leaves in the tea pot. Slowly pour 200 ml of cold water.
(2) Put the lid on the pot and wait for 30 minutes without moving the pot. Pour the tea into glasses. You can add small ice cubes.
(2) Put the lid on the pot and wait for 10-15 minutes without shaking the pot. Pour the tea into glasses. You can add small ice cubes.