{"id":34,"date":"2019-07-15T04:58:25","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T10:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rentawriter.com\/?p=34"},"modified":"2019-08-13T15:06:56","modified_gmt":"2019-08-13T20:06:56","slug":"my-answer-to-whats-the-toughest-blog-article-youve-had-to-write","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rentawriter.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/15\/my-answer-to-whats-the-toughest-blog-article-youve-had-to-write\/","title":{"rendered":"My answer to \u201cWhat\u2019s the toughest blog article you\u2019ve had to write?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harvesting Green Tea in Japan —\u00a0<\/strong>10 Surprising Harvesting Things You Didn\u2019t Know<\/strong><\/p>\n

The mysterious metamorphic tea leaf.<\/strong>\u00a0Timing in the harvesting of any plant is critical. Fruits, vegetables, grains and other crops must be taken at the right growth stage to insure quality. Timing in the harvesting of tea in Japan doesn\u2019t just affect quality \u2013 it can actually change what product results from it, from Shincha and Spring Bancha, or early spring tea, to Gyokuro and Matcha, harvested later in the season.<\/p>\n

The amount of exposure to sunlight also affects the end product, so farmers use Kanreisha, a kind of curtain, to block direct sunlight and provide partial shade. The type of shading used dramatically affects the properties of tea made from the leaves. Shading usually begins a month or so before harvest, and the lack of sunlight produces tea with fewer tannins, which means less bitterness, giving teas like Gyokuro and Matcha a more pleasant aroma. It also produces a sweeter taste and gives the tea its light green color. There are two types of shading: Tana, a kind of canopy, and Jikagise, which is more like a tent. Traditionally they were made of natural materials like straw and sticks, but those have been replaced by more modern equivalents.<\/p>\n

The tea tradition in Japan is ancient and ubiquitous, starting almost a thousand years ago. Every facet, from tending and harvesting the trees and leaves to processing the leaves after harvesting, to storage and shipment, brewing and sipping, is important to the proper enjoyment of the liquid tea. Even the teapots and cups themselves are significant, with different types of pots used for different types of tea. Large and detailed books have been written about the process, and the Japanese tea ceremony. We\u2019ll let you peruse those at your leisure, and will instead in this article concentrate on a few interesting tidbits you may not know about the harvesting process and how it affects the end result.<\/p>\n