Tag Archives: 茶

Producing Shizuoka Tea Bags on Order: Saikou Chaen Co. ltd.

December 23, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

Asami Itoh/伊藤麻美 at Saikou Chaen Co. Ltd./彩香茶園有限会社

“Always trying to expand business onto new avenues”

Tea bags have been an established business for long in Europe and in the Americas, but Japan is only coming very slowly to accept the idea for its green tea.
This is a business opportunity with great potential but also fraught with risks as the Japanese do not easily forget their traditions even they are obviously narrow-minded.

Asami Itoh is a young entrepreneur who only recently joined her father’s long-established tea factory business to find new ways to expand the family business.

The compulsory “cleaning room” all visitors and staff have to go through.

She spent 5 years in Tokyo and Shizuoka studying and working in architecture and interior design. This experience proved useful when designing her own annex in her father’s company, Marufuku Tea Factory/丸福製茶.
It had to be conceived small, compact and in an absolutely clean environment.
Any visitor or staff must first go through the “cleaning room” where powerful air jets will take care of any dust or particles you might carry on your clothes.

A staff of 5 is looking after all operations including the transformation of tea into powder/funmatsu/粉末 (I was not allowed to take pictures of that particular process as they use a machine of their own concept), tea grading, blending and packaging.

Space had to be planned for the inclusion of 2 tea bags machines and more equipment for packaging.
Temperature and humidity have to be controlled very tightly, especially during the rainy season and in Autumn.
Static electricity is the biggest problem.
The place must be cleaned every morning mainly with vacuum apparels and everything has to go through one more and complete cleaning session every week.

Tea bags as they come out of the machine.

Green tea being blended with genmai/whole rice/玄米.

Tea sometimes does have to be treated the traditional way!

The final product as a package of tea bags!

All tea bags are made on order to avoid any waste and to provide best quality.
The competition is fierce and copying is inevitable, but the key of a successful business is quality and service.
As for the future Asami knows she still has plenty to learn including the English language for business expansion and the manufacture of Chinese Oolong tea for a new type of tea bags.

Do visit her official homepage/CHA-O and you will realize how much work is put into her venture! Great explanations and pictures to be discovered!

Saikou Chaen Co. Ltd./彩香茶園有限会社
420-0006 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 94
Tel.: 054-253-8421
fax: 054-253-8413
Mobile: 09032504188
Free dial: 0120364188
Business hours: 09:00~17:00
Closed on Sundays and 2nd + 4th Saturdays

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Shimada City: a New Portal to Japan!

December 1, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Horai Bridge

Ask Businessmen and tourists coming to Japan from China and Korea and they will answer the new starting venue in this country is Shimada City!
Shimada City? Where can that be? So many people in other celebrated metropolises will surely ask.

Shimada City is slightly away from the center of Shizuoka Prefecture which in turn lies in the very middle of Japan halfway between Tokyo and Nagoya, the most traveled portion of this country. But it all started with the advent of Shimada Airport, also called Mount Fuji-Shizuoka Airport, in 2009. You will understand why we see many Chinese and Korean visitors in this area when you realize planes daily land there directly form Seoul-Incheon and Shanghai-Pudong. In fact, it is faster and cheaper to travel from Shimada to Paris via Seoul-Incheon Aiport!

All that is fine, you might say, what brings all these visitors to that particular part of Japan? What does it has to offer to businessmen and tourists?
Well businessmen know that Shizuoka is the third richest Prefecture, GDP-wise, after Aichi and Kanagawa Prefectures (which incidentally follow each other along the Tokaido Road!), and that ought to be a good enough reason.
Alright, alright, businessmen also share more reasons to come with tourists!

Shimada City and its neighborhoods certainly have enough to warrant a serious visit and a longer stay than expected. After all, if you also come from Kyushu or Hokkaido you will appreciate to learn they are regularly serviced with direct flights from Mount Fuji-Shizuoka Airport.

Shimada tea fields

Shimada City being in the middle of Shizuoka prefecture finds itself in the heart of green tea country. It also has two railway stations, more precisely in Kanaya where you can board the Steam Locomotive for a beautiful trip along the Oigawa Main Line up to Senzu Hot Springs Resort across vast expanses of green tea fields bordering the Oi River. Do not forget to pay an enriching visit to the Tea Museum/Ocha No Sato in Kanaya!

Horai Bridge

The same Oi River was at its most difficult to cross in Shimada City along the Old Tokaido Road prompting the Meiji Government to build the (still) longest wooden bridge in the world, the Horai Bridge, in 1879. It is 897.4m long and 2.7m wide.
Not only it deserved to be walked across for a great vista but it also has the great merit to lead to vast green tea fields beyond a small mountain ridge along a lane dotted with statues of Seven Deities.

Obi Sword dancer

Every city worth its salt in Japan has a major festival to boast from.
Shimada City not only has one, but it is one of the so-called most unusual festivals in Japan!: the Shimada Obi Matsuri and its Daimyo Procession.
The 300-year old Daimyo Gyoretsu imitates the procession of a grand jumangoku (one hundred thousand koku, units of rice) daimyo, and a total of 250 marchers stretch over 500 meters. Particularly striking is the presence of oyakko who walk gracefully, carrying an obi for safe delivery of babies on the tip of a wooden sword.
The procession is held every three years, in the years of the tiger, snake, monkey and wild boar. It’s commemorated by a grand statue in case you cannot visit the city on time for the festival!

Oomuraya Brewery

Now that we have enough reasons to either choose Shimada as a practical entry portal to Japan for our business or a source of new hidden treasures, what about the communications, accommodations and gastronomy?

Communications are no problem at all as the Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport is directly linked by bus to Shimada Tokaido Line Railway Stations and the Shinkasen/Bullet Train Stations in Hamamatsu, Kakegawa and Shizuoka Cities, all within 90 minutes of Nagoya and Tokyo. Moreover, a (free) parking lot for more than 1,000 cars, taxis and car rental companies are part of the facilities.

Accommodations should not be a worry either as the city has enough hotels of all grades, Western or Japanese style near and by the railway station.

As for gastronomy, the City is blessed with a celebrated Sake Brewery, Oomuraya Shuzo, whose brands “Onna Nakase” (“Make a Lady weep”), “Wakatake” (“Young Bamboo) and “Onigoroshi” (“Goblin-Killing”) are known as far as New York, Paris and London.
The presence of a great sake brewery means that the local Japanese Izakayas in particular are of a higher level. What with superlative marine products from nearby Suruga Bay and the extravagant abundance of vegetables (don’t forget the green tea!), there is plenty to please everyone, be they vegetarian, omnivores, drinkers or not!

Recommended Hotel:
Hotel Route Inn Shimada Ekimae, 427-0022 Shizuoka Ken, Shimada Shi, Hon Toori, 5-1-13, Tel.: (81)(0)547-37-0055, Fax: (81)(0)547-037-0065, http://www.route-inn.co.jp/search/hotel/index.php?hotel_id=48

Recommended Restaurant:
Setsugetsuka (Soba, menus to please both vegetarians and omnivores alike. Great sake!), (Closed on Mondays and third Tuesday), 427-0022 Shizuoka ken, Shimada Shi, Hon Toori, 2-3-4, Tel.: (81)(0)547-35-5241
http://www3.tokai.or.jp/soba-setugetuka/top.htm

Tea Museum/Ocha No Sato, (Closed on Tuesdays) Shizuoka Ken, Shimada Shi, Kanaya, 3053-2, Tel.: (81)(0)547-46-5588
http://www.ochanosato.com/

Oomuraya Sake Brewery (Closed on Sundays), 427-0022 Shizuoka ken, Hon Toori, 1-1-8, tel.: (81)(0)547-37-3058, Fax: (81)(0)547-37-7567
(Visits and tasting sessions for small groups possible upon reservation)

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Green Tea Processing at Marufuku Tea Factory

November 27, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Mr. Bunji Itoh/伊藤文治 and his daughter Asami/麻美 at Marufuku Tea Factory/丸福造者株式ｊ会社　were kind enough to show me twice the mechanical part of processing green tea as well as explain the various kinds of tea they make.
Bear in mind this the mechanical part of green tea which takes place after picking, steaming and massaging the fresh leaves.

The basic first step is hi-ire/火入れ/roasting which can be done with two different machines:

A comparatively small roasting drum-style machine which can roast green tea at 120~135 degrees Celsius from 10 kg in 20 minutes.

A larger and more elaborate roasting machine which can take care of 300 kg in an hour.

The second step will involve separation according to quality into 5 basic teas I will describe later.

But more than one type of machine is used to produce tea according to the demands and preferences of clients.

Some of quality tea has to be treated by hand!

But the machines certainly make the job easier!

Tea also has to go through other apparatuses to take out unwanted particles, especially metallic powder with magnets.

Finally after the tea has been processed satisfactorily it will have to be put into packs of various sizes.

The tea packs will be then put into larger boxes for delivery!

Basic types of green tea:

Arai-cha/荒い茶/ Coarse Tea

For a closer view of the same.

Boo-cha/棒茶/ Stick tea

For a closer view of the same.

Me cha/芽茶/ Bud tea, the best quality

For a closer view of the same.

Yanagi Cha/柳茶/ Willow Tea, called so because the the roasted leaves look like willow leaves. Also commonly called Ban cha/番茶/ Number Tea

For a closer view of the same.

Kona cha/粉茶/ Powder Tea

For a closer view of the same.

Marufuku Seishya Co. Ltd. (Mr. Bunji Itoh)
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 25
Tel.: 054-271-2011
Fax: 054-271-2010

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Shizuoka Prefecture Agricultural High School Festival 2010

November 13, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

On Saturday, November 13th (not a Friday! LOL) Shizuoka Prefecture Agriculture High School held its annual School Festival!

It has easily become one of the major high school festivals in town and Prefecture.

It requires enormous preparation and many students had to stay overnight in the dormitory to make sure everything was in order for 9:30 a.m.!

Certainly all kinds of visitors appear on such events!

But I prefer the girls of that school!

Without a doubt the stars of the day are the bread and cakes club!
I arrived at 12:30 and only two kinds were left!

The students of the club are very serious about it!

But always smiling!

The pizza master who had been at work since 7:30!
The oven is a real one from Germany!

Unfortunately I couldn’t any of these wood oven baked mini pizzas as they had to be reserved!

The “ticket girls” didn’t have any tickets left for the pizza!
Unfair!

A Japanese national hobby: gold fish!

Poultry for the pleasure of visiting kids!

Special rooms had been arranged to introduce the students’ work and research.

All the while the cakes and bread disappeared to the very last!

I also paid a visit to the fields and greenhouses!

I had a hard time keeping my hands off these!

The school’s green tea was on sale!

And their spinach and shiitake mushrooms as well!

Plenty of photo displays to prove their good work!

I want one of those watermelons!

The sign says, “all oranges/mikan sold”! Unfair!

They grow flowers, too, and a lot of them!

For posterity!

After a hard day’s work!

See you next year!
(Will make sure to come early this time!)

Shizuoka Prefecture Agricultural High School
420-0812 Shizuoka Ken, Shizuoka Shi, Furusho, 3-1-1
Tel.: 054-261-1111/1113
Fax: 054-264-2226
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Organic Tea: Honyama Tea by Bunji Itoh at Marufuku Tea Co. Ltd.

November 11, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Mr. Bunji Itoh/伊藤文治 in his fields in Hirano/平野, Shizuoka City

“Organic Tea will become a new norm within the next 10 years.”
Organic tea is still rare in Shizuoka Prefecture which produces no less than 45% of the total tea crop in Japan.
The Prefecture counts many famous brands, one of which is Honyama/本山 grown along the Abe/安部 and Warashina/藁科 Rivers across Shizuoka city up to the Japan Southern Alps.

Entrance sign in front of Bunji Itoh’s registered organic tea fields in Hirano

Bunji Itoh is the 3rd generation of a tea growing family and the 2nd generation at their company, Marufuku Tea Co. Ltd./丸福製茶株式会社.
10 years ago he pioneered organic tea in one of his tea fields in Hirano, up the Abe River near Utougi/有東木, the birthplace of wasabi.
Last year the Shizuoka Prefecture decided to promote its tea in Europe and Bunji Itoh was awarded an Official Organic Tea Recognition Licence in Germany for two kinds of organic tea!

So the other saw a real expedition of ours ride all the way to his fields located at almost 1,000 meters height!
The members of our expedition were (on the picture not featuring me):
Aya Itoh/伊藤彩, his younger daughter, Asami Itoh/伊藤麻実 his older daughter who, besides helping her father, runs her own business at Saiko Chyaen/彩香茶園, Mr. Bunji Itoh/伊藤文治 himself, Mr. Chaminda Jayawardana, a Sri Lankan Tea Merchant and Grower at Lumbini Tea Factory (PVT) Ltd. who had come at the International Tea Event held in Granship, Shizuoka City and who had been invited to join us all by my friend Nahoko Imai/今井奈保子, owner of Teebom Co..
Interestingly enough, except for Mr. Itoh, everyone was fluent in English!

It was actually a great drive along the Abe River and along the wasabi fields!

You quickly understood that the culture was organic as the lane sanking between the tea trees was covered with very healthy moss!

Mr. Itoh grows two kinds of organic tea, Yabukita/やぶきた which is cultivated from grafts and Zairai/在来種 which is grown form the seeds.
The whole area covers 60 ha at high altitude at foot of the Japan Southern Alps.

Stupendous vista from the same fields.
These are not clouds but mist, a major reason for the quality of the tea.

Flowers could be seen (they are of the same family as the camelias) blossoming from the base of the trees.
Chaminda remarked that they would never let them grow back in Sri Lanka where leaves are basically picked all year round, whereas here in Shizuoka they are picked only four times a year.

The area is replete with streams and falls providing clear and pure water not only to keep the fields wet but also to keep the insects away (the trees are watered three times a week to make all insects drop to the ground where they will become organic fertilizer!).
As for fertilizer, Mr. Itoh utilizes only organic matter, mainly composed of grass mowed on abandoned golf courses and let to ferment for three years before being spread between the trees.

There are plenty of damage on the leaves proving that the culture is organic!
The above picture shows downy mildew/炭素病.

Blister Blight/ブリスタ・ブライト.

For a closer view.

Fungi/カビ.

All these problems have to be taken care of in a natural manner.
No wonder a lot of farmers opt for the easy way.
But although Mr. Itoh grows other tea with a minimum of pesticides and artificial fertilizer, he believes he is on the right path with organic tea!

On our way back to Marufuku Tea Co. Ltd. in Wakamatu/若松 in Shizuoka City (see above sign),

we spent a long time observing the manufacture of tea,

and sampling it.
But as I need another visit to properly report on the manufacture it will have to wait until the next article!

Marufuku Seishya Co. Ltd. (Mr. Bunji Itoh)
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 25
Tel.: 054-271-2011
Fax: 054-271-2010

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Organic Tea Honyama Tasting at Marufuku Tea Co. Ltd.

November 6, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

Organic tea by Marufuku at differrent stages of refining and from different parts of the tea leaves.

Organic tea exists in Shizuoka! Although still very rare in the largest tea-producing region in Japan (45%), it is also found in Kyushu Island.
Mr. Bunji Itoh, owner of Fukumaru Tea Co. Ltd, whose company is also growing and processing organic tea from his own fields high in the mountains of Hirano, Shizuoka City above the Abe River, was kind enough to help me taste organic tea of his own and that of a good friend, Mr. Nishi in Kyushu!

Ichiban Cha/First growth, best quality tea grown by Mr. Itoh in Hirano, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City high in the mountains.

The same as above.
Very soft color, almost yellow. Very little tea particles found.
Very soft, almost sweet, delicate. Very little acidity or tartness.
The best of all tasted on that day!
Extremely elegant.

Tea from Mr. Nishi in Kagoshima.
Mixed with genmai/whole rice/dry) and matcha tea powder.

Same as above.
A “fancy” tea. Very popular with ladies and children.
Very tasty, probably best drunk chilled.

“Hojisha” from Mr. Nishi in Kagoshima.

Same as above.
The tea is roasted in a different manner to obtain this brownish color.
Easy to to drink. Resembles Oolong tea, but the process for the latter is completely different.
Refreshing but unsophisicated.

O-ban cha from Mr. Nishi in Kagoshima.
This is “regular” tea for the masses.

Same as above.
Not really impressive.
Mainly used for everyday drinking.

Ichiban cha from Mr. Nishi in Kagoshima.

Same as above.
Very different from that of Mr. Itoh.
Good tea indeed but a bit too smoky to my taste.

Marufuku Seishya Co. Ltd. (Mr. Bunji Itoh)
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 25
Tel.: 054-271-2011
Fax: 054-271-2010

Shizuoka Hotsprings: Sumatakyo-Part 2

June 9, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Check the Hotel Homepage for more information (Japanese)!

Now, how much did we pay for one night at Suikoen Hotel, thebest one in Sumatakyo, lost in the southern Japan Alps with full dinner, breakfast and onsen bath/hotsprings bath?
130 US $ each, not bad!

Meals are taken early in Japanese hotsprings hotels.
Ours was launched at 6:00 p.m.!
A plate of zensai/appetizers was waiting for us. I can’t remember all the descriptions as I had no time to jot down anything, waht with being busy the pics (with a mobile phone, which is not the perfect way! Sorry) and the Missus waiting impatiently!

Bamboo Shoot

Vegetarian sushi with rice steamed in green tea.

Stewed mushrooms and pickled ginger.

Kogomi/fern, moutain vegetable.

Tea leaves tempura.

Fuki, mountain vegetable

And the procession of appetizers continued with stewed cold chicken and boiled vegetables,

yam, pickled wasabi and myoga ginger,

grilled yamame, you can eat the whole!

Japanese-style bbq with pork and vegetables and miso paste,

20 minutes later!

Shika tataki/Seared venison sashimi (the venison comes from wild deer in the nearvy mountains!),

an interesting “sashimi plate”: gomadofu/sesame tofu, salmon and konnyaku/devil’s tongue tuber jelly mixed with local green tea!

I don’t know too much baout this one. All I know is that it was made with azuki beans, yam and tofu. Very hearty!

Chinese-style fried salmon with sweet and sour sauce,

tsukemono, Japanese pickles,

Yamasemi (Mountain Kingfisher) white wine from Nagano Precture (extra fee!),

Freshly steamed rice is brought inside a double-lid pot,

so simple and delicious!

Miso soup, naturally,

Kawane Green Tea (did I tell you that Shizuoka Prefecture produces more than 45% of all green tea in Japan?)!

And Kawane green tea jelly for dessert!

before taking our first bath of the day, we took time to admire the carps in the garden pond!

The entrance of the hot baths…

The noren/curtain barring the view of the hot baths for men.
”男” means “men”. Don’t make a mistake!

The noren/curtain barring the view of the hot baths for women/ladies.
”女” means “women”. Don’t make a mistake again!

The “venues are switched every 12 hours. Do be careful and check! LOL

A view of the “make-up” room.

The indoor bath.

Scrub yourself before entering any bath!

Rotenburo/露天風呂/outdoors bath. A bit small, I must admit!

The relaxation room by the outdoors bath.
Do not trust the scales!

We did dip in the baths the next day before and after breakfast.
The breakfast was the all you can eat self-service style, both European and Japanese style. Above was my first helping (European).

I was really hungry after allthe walking the day before (and more coming on taht day!), I couldn’t help wolfing down another, Japanese-style, breakfast!

All considered, a good enough hotel, good steady food and very reasonable. Definitely recommended!

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Shizuoka Hotsprings: Sumatakyo-Part 1

June 1, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Suikoen Hotel entrance in Sumatakyo

The Missus and I finally found a couple of days off work to go to a favourite destination of ours: Hotsprings.
Shizuoka Prefecture is probably the most famous region in Japan for such a venue.
Hotels, Ryokans (inns) and Minshuku (Pensions) can wildly vary in prices, services and meals served, but my other half is a wizard (sorry, witch!) when it comes to find out the best deal out of the Internet.
She planned the whole trip as my experience has taught me it is better this way in spite of all the grumbling (why do I have to do everything?….).
The following three articles are a journal of the two days spent together (in bliss?) along the railway tracks and mountain lanes in search for simple pleasures!

Kanaya Railway Station, Oi River Railroad (minuscule!)

We left Shizuoka City (Higashi Shizuoka Station) at 09:56 and reached Kanaya Station at 10:34 using the Tokaido Railway Line.

Before buying our tickets, we checked with the small food stand at Kanaya Oi River Railroad Station (next to Kanaya Station) as they always sell good local ekiben/railway line bento!

Large signs across the track made sure you know your destination!

We ignored the SL train as we were planning to board it on our return and instead used the diesel-pulled train. No need to say that all trains along the Oi River Railroad track are crowded with train buffs on week-ends!

That railroad is mainly a single-track line except inside stations (and not all at that!).

My bento box!
I wrote an extensive article at Ekiben/Railway Station Lunch Boxes-Bento 8!

It even contained a postcard!

The food inside!

The bento chosen by the Missus!

The food inside!

Cute SL train-shaped soy sauce container!

Green tea rasks for dessert!

Kawane Green tea to washi it down. Don’t forget that Shizuoka Prefecture produces more than 45% of all green tea in Japan and the area we are going to cross on our way, Kawane, is the major green tea producing area!

Although the train runs along the Oi River between montains, thereis plenty of place for (tea) farming.

Tea fields everywhere!

This is the season and farmers are busy even on Sunday! You will find very few recreation spaces there as farmers are just too tired at the end of the day!

The Oi River has always been a major river in Japan! For once the weather was clement!

Wherever you go in Jpaan, you will discover ball parks where Elementary School kids are eager to show off their new uniforms!

We left Kanaya at 10:49 to reach Senzu Station, the last station for that particular train. Nice natural decoration!

A view of Senzu Station, which stands pretty high in the South Japanese Alps!

We had arrived at Senzu Station 12:04 and still had sometime before taking the bus to Sumatakyo at 13:30. We were getting a bit hungry. Luckily we noticed a gentleman grilling/bbq-ing large yamame!

Yamame (山女 or “Mountain Woman” in Japanese!) is a kind of trout, either called Japanese trout or Seema.

One can either eat wild ones or pond-raised ones. These fat samples are raised in local ponds fed with fresh mountain waters. Griiled with salt/shoyaki/塩焼き, they are succulent. You can eat the skin, too!

Almost “next door” to Senzu Station stands a very interesting museum dedicated to sound in their many form, natural or devised.
The place is called Otogi No Sato/Sound Village.
Check their (Japanese) HOMEPAGE.
I was particularly interested in the “percussion faces”.

Long teeth!

Another one for a music-loving dentist?

Another one for hard hitting!

We finally reached our destination Suikoen Spa Hotel at 14:10.
Now, who is that lady?
Check the Hotel Homepage for more information (Japanese)!

I can assure you they will never lack water to turn that wheel!

Hotel lobby sitting room.

The lobby seen from the inside courtyard.

The same from another angle.

A small but scenic courtyard, indeed, with the nearby wooded mountains.

A small carp pond, naturally!

A traditional irori/囲炉裏 with a real charcoal fire!

As we still had plenty of time until dinner (served at 18:00, a bit early by Western standards!), we took the opportunity to visit the locality!

A traditonal minshuku/民宿 or pension.

Narrow streets with plenty of verdant nature!

Rivers and waterfalls running through the village!

Traditional Houses and shops.
And then it was time for dinner, but that is for Part 2!

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Ekiben/Railway Station Lunch Boxes-Bento 8

June 1, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Just came back for a tw0-day, one-night trip to Sumatakyo Hotsprings at the foot of the Southern Alps in Northern Shizuoka Prefecture.
We took our last train from Kanaya Oi River Railway Station (private railway) and bought our ekiben (railway Station Lunch boxes) there before boarding the diesel train (we took the steam locomotive on the way back).
A series of three articles are coming soon to describe that trip in detail!

The bento I chose was called “Oikawa Furusuato Bento/Oi River Hometown Bento” and was commemorating the C11 SL.
It included Sato Imo/taro on a stick with sweet miso sauce, Tamahoyaki, Takenoko/bamboo shoot, Fried and sweetened Sakura ebi/Cherry shrimps, Gobo/Burdock root, Chicken Karaage/Deep-fried Chicken, yama imo/yam seasoned with umeboshi/Japanese pickled plums and amazu/sweet rice vinegar, Yamame trout (Japanese trout) and two nigiri wrapped in seaweed.

The Yamame trout had been simmered for a long time in soy sauce, mirin and sugar. The whole was edible, head, tail and bones included!

The bento included a complimentary postcard of the SL locomotive and chopsticks in original paper wrapping.

Even the soy sauce was included inside an SL-shaped tube!

The Missus chose the “Shimada Hatsu Shizuoka Aji Monogatari Bento/Shimada Start Shizuoka Taste Story Bento”. It is the second time she had it but the contents were slightly different from last year. Th saber-dancing samurai is a figure of a very famous matsuri/festivaltaking place every 3 years in Shimada City where Kanaya is located!

It contained a Sakura ebi nigiri, Unagi Nori Maki/Ell sushi roll, Wasabituke/wasabi plants pickled in sake white lees in its little container, Tea tempura, Menchi Katsu/Minced pork croquettes, Kuro Hanpen/Sardine paste, Take no ko and sato imo (nimono/stewed, kamaboko/fish paste “flower”, lychee and mikan!

And we had cold tea from Kawane (the region covering the area between Kanay and the Southern Japanese Alps, one of the best tea areas inJapan!) to wash it down!

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Tea Time! Green Tea Season Has Started in Shizuoka!

April 24, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

Shizuoka Prefecture produces 50% of all tea in Japan and 70% of the total national production is also traded in our Prefecture!

As I was going to take my train to University at Shizuoka JR Station, a major and very busy station in Japan, I noticed the Shizuoka Green Tea stand in the middle of the station.

Notwithstanding the beautiful young ladies serving the tea for free (quite difficult to time the photo, I can assure you!) I was attracted as I appreciate the beverage a lot. The tea was Motoyama, oneof the major shizuoka varieties grown in Shizuoka City (which spreads up to the Southern Alps!).

A great treat before boarding a crowded train!

I wished they could do that for sake, but obviously the police would more than frown upon it!

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Vegan Tea Buckwheat Noodles: “Tya-soba”

October 28, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

Shizuoka Prefecture is celebrated for its green tea all the World.
I had the pleasure to taste something of value for many recently.
Vegeterians (and vegans!), rejoice! A company called Ikejima Foods in Hamakita Ku, Hamamatsu City has come up with Tea Buckwheat Noodles/Tya-soba!.
Tea comes from the Kawane area which produces some of the best tea in the Prefecture.
The noodles contain no preservatives and neither the noodles, nor the tsuyu/soup contains any animal extracts whatsoever (no milk or egg products).
One pack contains enough for 4 small or 2 medium portions.

As for cooking, here are simple instructions:
Cold Noodles style:
Dilute tsuyu/soup in 100 ml of clean water.
In one big pan heat 2 litres of water. Bring to boiling point. Drop in noodles. Lower fire to samll. Stir with long chopsticks. The noodles are ready when they readily come to the surface. Wash them rapidly under running cold water inside a “zaru”/small basket or inside a bowl full of cold water until noodles are cool enough. Drain water and place on a flat dish over a bamboo net if possible. Eat noodles by dipping them in tsuyu/soup to which you can add freshly cut raw leeks and wasabi (or any spices you fancy!)

Hot noodles style:
Dilute tsuyu/soup into 230 ml of hot water.
Cook noodles as for cold style. Drain and drop into bowl full of tsuyu/soup. Add vegetables, freshly cut raw leeks and spices to taste.

“Meicha Soba”
Ikejima Foods
Hamamatsu City, Hamakita Ku, Terajima, 2351
Tel.: 053-587-1025

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Tea as Food!

October 26, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

(from top middle, clockwise: Salted Cuttle fish marinated in tea leaves and rice yeast, conger eel pike and urchin in green tea jellied fish broth, tea leaves walnut tofu curd, tuna simmered in green tea with tea leaves dumpling cake, matsutake mushroom cooked in tea leaves)

Tea is mainly known as a drink all over the World in spite of puddings and a limited variety of desserts made with red or green tea.
Shizuoka Prefecture where more than 50% of all green tea in Japan has witnessed some gastronomic research by local chefs of all leanings and events have regularly been organised to share the information and skills.

Fugetsuro is one of the restaurants in Shizuka holding such welcome events:

Above is a view of a dinner Mr. Hitoshi Yamada, Master Chef at Fugetsuro was asked to design for some 120 guests with the overriding concept that tea must be included in all dishes.

Including the first dish described above, the menu ran as follows (I let you judge!)

Raw fish assortment: Tuna, seabream, sole, seasoned with fresh tea, edible flowers, salt and soy sauce.

Surugani: tea sob/buckwheat noodles, seabream cooked in whole rice, “kouyou” carrot, tea leaves.

Oven-baked black pork seasoned with tea, five color vegetables, tea sauce.

Tofu bean curd and whole rice Pouch, deep-fried tea leaves. Seasoned with
“macha” tea salt.

Autumn salmon marinate in seaweed and tea, yuuba/bean curd sheet. Seasoned with golden vinegar.

Tea rice, salmon roe, soup.

Persimmon, grape, “macha” tea Bavarois, green tea cube jelly.

Fugetsurou
420-0852 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Koya Machi, 11-1
Tel.: 054-2526500
Fax: 054-2528411
Homepage (Japanese)

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Japanese Vegan Treat: Cha Soba/Tea Soba

July 17, 2009 dragonlife 6 Comments

Shizuoka Prefecture is celebrated for its green tea all the World.
It grows no less than 50% of the national crop.
Vegetarians (and vegans!), rejoice!
A company called Ikejima Foods in Hamakita Ku, Hamamatsu City has come up with Tea Buckwheat Noodles/Cha-soba! (or Tya Soba)!
Tea comes from the Kawane area which produces some of the best tea in the Prefecture.
The noodles contain no preservatives, and neither the noodles, nor the tsuyu/soup contains any animal extracts whatsoever (no milk or egg products).
One pack contains enough for 4 small or 2 medium portions.

As for cooking, here are simple instructions:
Cold Noodles style:
Dilute tsuyu/soup in 100 ml of clean water.
In one big pan heat 2 litres of water. Bring to boiling point. Drop in noodles. Lower fire to small. Stir with long chopsticks. The noodles are ready when they readily come to the surface. Wash them rapidly under running cold water inside a “zaru”/small basket or inside a bowl full of cold water until noodles are cool enough. Drain water and place on a flat dish over a bamboo net if possible. Eat noodles by dipping them in tsuyu/soup to which you can add freshly cut raw leeks and wasabi (or any spices you fancy!)

Hot noodles style:
Dilute tsuyu/soup into 230 ml of hot water.
Cook noodles as for cold style. Drain and drop into bowl full of tsuyu/soup. Add vegetables, freshly cut raw leeks and spices to taste.

“Meicha Soba”
Ikejima Foods
Hamamatsu City, Hamakita Ku, Terajima, 2351
Tel.: 053-587-1025

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Japanese Cheese: Hokkaido Raw Milk Cheeses Plate

May 4, 2009 dragonlife 18 Comments

hok-cheese-2

There is a very welcome competition in Shizuoka City when it comes to cheese, both from Japan and abroad, because of the awareness created by Keiko Kubota at Gentil.
Now, I have the luck to be very friendly with the owner of Nagashima Liqueur Shop in Shizuoka City who spent a long time studying in France. As a wine lover, he is very fond of cheese and retails a few very well-chosen ones in his shop.

These days he is introducing a series of delicious raw milk (unusual in Japan till recently) from Hokkaido.
Last night I had the pleasure to taste them at home at last:

hok-cheese-1

Top left: Sasa no Yuki
Top right: Koban
Bottom Left: Sakura
Bottom right: Raclette

hok-cheese-4

Sasa no Yuki means Bamboo Grass Snow. Such short ban\mboo grass are found everywhere in Japan and have been used for eons to wrap food. A bamboo grass is “wrapped” around the cheese reminiscent of the French Feuille de Dreux Cheese.
Mild Camembert type, very easy to eat on some great toasted bread!
It is the size of a Camembert, 250g and like all these cheeses is exclusively made form Cow’s raw milk with the addtion of a little salt.
All four cheeses can aged at home.

hok-cheese-5

Koban is another soft type cheese reminiscent of Pave and Camembert in France. Very mild and easy on the palate.
Weight: 150 g

hok-cheese-3

Sakura/Cherry Blossom is considered as the best Japanese creation when it comes to cheese. It received prizes all over the World, especially Germany, and was served at the last G8 Meeting in Hokkaido!
Weight: 90g
Served with a cherry blossom pickled in salt.
Reminiscent of Saint-Marcellin, but slightly milder, it is extremely elegant and complex.
Can be matured at will!
A discovery!

hok-cheese-6

Raclette. made in the same way as Swiss and French Raclette, it is milder and great heated and flowing on brea, as a Fondue, as it is or toatsed on muffins!
It had been matured for 3 months.
Won the Best Japanese Cheese Contest in 1998.
Weight: 200g per cut.

Nagashima Saketen
Address:
420 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku,Ryuunan, 1-12-7
Tel.: 054-2459260
Fax: 054-2459252
(Japanese Blog)

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Green Tea: New Green Tea being harvested and sold in Shizuoka Prefecture!

May 2, 2009 dragonlife 3 Comments

tea-shimbun
(Courtesy of Shizuoka Shimbun)

Shizuoka Prefecture produces 50% of all green tea grown in Japan.
“Shinsha”/New Tea is being harvested in earnest and sold after a long wait!

Picture above shows tea being handpicked in Kawane, Shimada City, home of some of the best green tea in Jaapn, along the railway line used by the Oikawa Steam Locomotive, one of the very few left in Japan!

Tea is being dry-roasted (picture left bottom) , and auctioned (picture right bottom) in Shizuoka City.

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