Fans of Japan’s celebrated tea: take note.

Starting this December, D-matcha, a Kyoto-based tea maker, will offer tea garden hiking tours which allow you experience picking tea leaves used in Kyobancha, one of the region’s best teas.

The tour allows tea lovers to get a deeper understanding of their favorite beverage as they work alongside tea farmers. After the leaves are picked, they are processed into Kyobancha, which can be sampled in the on-site cafe, which also has a variety of delicious meals. 100% of participants who have participated in an earlier version of the tour have reported satisfaction.

What is Kyobancha?

Kyobancha is a well-known brand of Kyoto tea with a unique manufacturing method characterized by steamed tea leaves picked, dried and roasted without rubbing.

Its most distinctive feature is a strong, smoky scent created as smoke seeps into the tea leaves in the roasting process. It also features a distinct clear brown color due to the decrease in astringent ingredients such as caffeine and tannin during the roasting process.

 

For more information, visit the official site or PR TIMES (Japanese only)