Recipe: Chilled "029 Meiryoku" paired with refreshing plum jelly

A recipe featured in TOKYO TEA JOURNAL VOL.38 "Sencha Aspires to Tanka Poetry". For a change, we'll introduce a tanka poem that fits the situation.

On a day of persistent drizzle, you might want to feel refreshed during your moment of relaxation. At such times, it's recommended to enjoy the cool flavor of "029 Meiryoku" as a cold brew.

Pair the cereal aroma, which remains distinct even when chilled rapidly, with a plum jelly containing whole Nanko-ume plums.

The tanka poem chosen to match the rainy season sky is from Ayano Iida's "Riverside" (Honami Shoten). If you imagine the continuous falling as "water flowers", even this rainy season sky might seem lovely.

Chilled "029 Meiryoku" with Refreshing Jelly

Water flowers bloom on the water's surface
Today and tomorrow, they say it will rain
-- Ayano Iida

Ingredients

- 4g of "029 Meiryoku" tea leaves
- Hot water (first infusion) 80ml at 70°C
- Hot water (second infusion) 100ml at 88°C
- Ice cubes as needed

Brewing Method

1. Brew the first infusion

Pour 80ml of 70°C water over the tea leaves in the teapot and let it steep for 20 seconds.

2. Rapid cooling of the first infusion

Pour the first infusion into a server filled with ice cubes for rapid cooling.

3. Rapid cooling of the second infusion

Pour 100ml of 85°C water into the teapot, steep for 15 seconds, then add to the server from step 2. Stir and pour into a glass to complete.

TEA TALK

Okabe in Shizuoka Prefecture, where the mountain climate is suitable for tea leaf cultivation, has been actively growing tea since the Muromachi period. "029 Meiryoku", grown in this region, is charming with its fresh blue aroma and distinct sweetness and umami. The aftertaste is almost like black tea, making the change in aroma enjoyable.

Words from the Producer

Masao Asahina, Ryusei Green, Okabe, Shizuoka Prefecture

"This area has fog, which is one of the conditions for producing good tea. Also, it's a region that has long cultivated kabuse-cha and gyokuro, which require covering. Thinking back, we've been doing kabuse since we started, so the tea trees might be used to it. Also, we don't have any fans to prevent frost damage in our factory. To put it strangely, we don't worry too much about damage anymore."



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