Shiga (Asamiya)
A plateau region around 400 m up, centred on Asamiya in Shigaraki. Output is small, but the name has long been listed among Japan's noted teas. It is often called one of the country's oldest tea gardens — an account handed down rather than one that can be checked.
Land and climate
High ground at Shigaraki, marked by cold mornings and mist. The altitude puts picking late, and the longer growing period thickens the leaf.
How it is made
Light steaming, finished for aroma. The region is small enough that tea is often sold under a single grower's name.
Cultivars
- Yabukita
- Local seed-grown stock
What to look for
Little of it circulates, so it is not something you will often meet on a shelf. Treat anything sold as Asamiya-cha as highland light-steamed tea: cooler water, brewed slowly.