The Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO has developed a semi-early harvesting green tea cultivar "Seimei" which is superior in yield, color of processed tea, taste such as umami, and suitable for Matcha and powdered tea. This green tea cultivar can be cultivated from Kanto to Kyushu region, and therefore has a wider cultivation area than the high-quality green tea cultivar "Saemidori". This new cultivar will contribute in strengthening the branding of Japanese tea and expanding the demand for high-quality green tea such as Matcha, powdered tea, shaded tea, and sencha.
Overview
- The green tea trees covered for more than 2 weeks before harvesting are mostly preferred as raw materials in the preparation of high-quality Matcha and powdered tea.
- The "Seimei" developed by NARO's Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science gives superior yield and quality under covering cultivation. In comparison with the the main green tea cultivars such as "Yabukita" and "Saemidori", the "Seimei" has higher yield, excellent color of processed tea and umami. It is also very suitable for preparation of Matcha, powdered tea and shaded tea.
- The "Seimei" has higher cold resistance than "Saemidori" and can be cultivated in wider areas from Kanto to Kyushu region.
- It is expected that the "Seimei" will contribute in strengthening the branding of Japanese green tea and expanding demand for matcha and powdered tea.
