The Making of SETOUCHI CRAFT TEA Vol. 1: Indigo Tea × Awa Bancha
Here, we would like to share the story behind the creation of SETOUCHI CRAFT TEA.
Starting in August 2023, we have been working to create one blend tea each month, combining products from the Setouchi region with Setouchi tea. It may be a long journey before these blends become finished products, but we hope you will enjoy following the process along the way.
SETOUCHI CRAFT TEA is our way of expressing the discovery of new charms of the Setouchi region through tea. We hope you will enjoy ingredients from Setouchi that are not yet widely known and, through their fusion with Japanese tea, discover values within tea that may not have been noticed before.
August's SETOUCHI CRAFT TEA
A Blend of Indigo Leaves and Awa Bancha Tea
Second-Harvest Indigo Leaves
I had been interested in indigo leaves for quite some time. Unlike ordinary leaves, I was drawn to the vivid color produced through indigo dyeing.
Around that time, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Fujii of Aiya Terroir in Yamano-cho, Fukuyama, where indigo is cultivated, processed into sukumo (traditional fermented indigo dye), and used for dyeing.
When I learned that a second harvest of indigo leaves would soon be available, I visited in mid-August. Like Japanese tea, indigo also has first and second harvests, and the first harvest is said to produce better color than the second.
After harvesting the plants with a sickle, I tried tasting the leaves. They had a sticky texture, and both the texture and aroma were very similar to Malabar spinach. To be honest, I would not describe them as particularly delicious.
An Indigo Field Resembling a Tea Plantation
One of the most interesting experiences was seeing the leaves gradually turn a vivid blue after they had been picked and left for a short time.
Freshly Harvested Indigo Leaves Shining a Deep Blue
About the Indigo Stems
The stems of the indigo plant are not used for dye production. They are normally discarded, but this time I decided to make tea from them.
The result was surprisingly sweet. It was a very unusual tea, reminding me of the sauce used for mitarashi dango.
However, when simply dried, the fresh characteristics were too strong, making the tea difficult to drink. By drying the stems at a high temperature in a tea dryer, the sweetness became much more pronounced.
Like tea plants, the stems are the pathways through which nutrients travel, which may explain their sweetness.
(It is rare, even in Japan, for a single producer to handle the entire process—from cultivating indigo and producing sukumo to dyeing.)
About the Japanese Tea Used in the Blend
The tea chosen for this blend, Awa Bancha, was connected by a fortunate coincidence. It is a lactic acid–fermented bancha that has long been produced in Tokushima Prefecture, the region most famous for indigo dyeing in Japan. Like indigo, it is the only Japanese tea made through true fermentation in the original sense of the word.
The aroma of indigo leaves is distinctive, but not particularly strong. As a result, it is easily overpowered by the flavor and aroma of Japanese tea. In addition, differences in shape meant that brewing times did not match well with teas such as sencha and hojicha, making it difficult to find a suitable combination.
The only teas that paired well were the refreshing Awa Bancha and Mimasaka Bancha, both of which have a similar appearance to indigo leaves.
Simply dried indigo leaves paired well with Awa Bancha, while roasted indigo stems paired well with Mimasaka Bancha, adding sweetness to its roasted character. The brewing times also matched well, resulting in a good balance.
As the hot weather was still continuing, I chose to blend the acidity of Awa Bancha with tea made from simply dried indigo leaves. The result was a refreshing blend suited to the end of summer.
I recommend serving it over ice.
Brewing instructions:
Use 2 g of tea per 100 ml of boiling water and steep for 3 minutes. Then pour it over ice to chill quickly before drinking.