Pan-fried Tamaryokucha

Pan-fried Tamaryokucha | 釜炒玉綠茶 Tasting notes: Toasty, savoury, sweet Origin: Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan Oxidation: ○○○○○ Tamaryokucha (玉綠茶) is a type of Japanese green tea known for its distinctive curly, comma-shaped leaves, which result from skipping the final rolling step in its production. Also called guricha, it has a smooth, mellow flavor profile and less grassy taste than sencha. Produced mainly in Kyushu, the tea can be either steamed or pan-fried. Our Tamaryokucha is pan-fried, a niche craft centred in Miyazaki Prefecture and which arrived in Japan only some five centuries ago from China. Why we love it: The leaves are fired at high heat in vast iron woks, tumbling against the metal until they take on a subtle, smoky silver sheen that catches the light. The liquor brews a warm golden hue, offering a mellow, velvety mouthfeel laced with distinctive roasted notes, utterly distinct from the bright, grassy lift of steamed green teas. It marries the refined clarity of Japanese sencha with the nutty depth of Chinese Longjing: a singular green tea that quietly bridges two worlds. What is green tea?