Hiroki Matsumoto, the young farmer at Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden is always challenging himself to create unique and unusual teas. His inspiration comes from the fact that many tea farmers around him in Shizuoka (perhaps, the best known prefecture for tea in Japan) are already making very good and high quality tea. While the focus of the generations before him was to sell cultivated tea to wholesalers, during his time as a tea farmer, Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden began to make their own products, which allowed Matsumoto-san to directly interact with customers (i.e., the people who drink his tea!). These interactions shifted something in him as began thinking about creating his own style of tea, one which wasn’t limited by the labels placed as "Shizuoka-cha" or "Shimada-cha". The sakura (cherry blossom) wood smoked black tea is just one of Matsumoto-san’s unique products. This innovative black tea has been smoked with Japanese cherry blossom tree. The wood comes from the award winning Ichiro Distillery in Chichibu, Tokyo, Japan. If you have had previous exposure to sakura-infused drinks (e.g., sakura green tea)/food, you may experience familiar notes in this black tea. This smoked tea can be enjoyed cold or hot and can be a great compliment to nuts and/or chocolate. One could also use the tea leaves and their strong flavor as condiment or seasoning. Please enjoy in many creative ways! Please note that all aspects of the production at Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden adhere to the environmental conservation cultivation method world renown as GIAHS (i.e., Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System). Therefore, tea bushes are cultivated in the traditional Japanese chagusaba method where grass is used as mulch to protect and flavor the tea leaves. Please note that no flavorings and additives have been used. Product Info Name: Sakura Wood Smoked Black Tea Japanese name: 燻製紅茶 Ingredients: Black tea Region: Shimada, Shizuoka prefecture Producer info Name: Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden Type: Family business, tea farm & factory Location: 1806-21 Kiriyama, Shimada-shi, Shizuoka-ken 428-0035
