Niigata (Murakami)
Generally called the northern limit for tea grown as a commercial crop, though smaller gardens survive further north in Akita and Iwate. The bushes winter under snow, so the growing season is short and the leaf grows thick.
Land and climate
Around Murakami in northern Niigata. Snow covers the fields in winter and the plants overwinter beneath it. The short season allows only one or two pickings a year, and yields are small.
How it is made
Mostly sencha. The thick leaf that comes out of a hard climate is pulled together with a heavier final firing. Volumes are tiny and most of it is drunk locally.
Cultivars
What to look for
Rarely on a shelf outside the region. The 'northern limit' story tends to lead, but the taste actually comes from the short season and thick leaf: density.