Miyazaki
Sencha and tamaryokucha, and also one of the few places making kamairicha — pan-fired green tea. Almost all Japanese green tea is steamed, so pan-fired is genuinely rare. The mountain districts of Gokase and Takachiho are the centers.
Land and climate
Conditions split between the high ground of the Kyushu mountains and the lowlands. Gokase and Takachiho sit in misty mountain country with a wide day-to-night temperature range.
How it is made
Kamairicha is fired in a hot pan rather than steamed to stop oxidation — an older method that came from China and now accounts for only a sliver of Japanese green tea production. Its particular roasted aroma has its own name, kamaka.
Cultivars
What to look for
Pan-fired tea is made in small quantities and is not easy to find on a shelf. Worth trying when you do. The liquor is pale and the aroma belongs to a different family altogether from steamed green tea.