When it comes to Uji Kyoto, everybody knows that it was the birth place of the Japanese Green Tea. Uji is just so famous for the Japanese Green Tea. Uji was located 30 minutes away from Kyoto by trains while Kobataen was located around 20 to 30 minutes away from the JR Uji Station too. The nature beauty of Uji was really fascinating and beautiful stunning. A great place to visit during sakura and autumn seasons too. You will never regret for visiting Uji. There are more to explore in Uji apart from the green tea farm such like the Historical and birthplace of Japanese Green Tea, Byodoin Temple that featured in a Japanese ¥10 coin, savour the origin of green tea soba and green tea desserts too. Our Journey in Kyoto starts with places in Uji, Kyoto. Here comes the JR train from Kyoto Station to JR Uji station. There is actually 2 train stations in Uji. The one we reached was the JR Uji Station. It was only a small station with one exit. So no worries that you will get lost here. A half day trip to Uji was planned beforehand. I knew Morita-san, the Director of Kobataen from Hanaya, the Japanese restaurant in Grand Millenium Hotel, Kuala Lumpur where I attended for a Japanese Green Tea class. He taught me a lot about the difference of Japanese Green Tea and knew that his company was actually located in Uji, Kyoto. In coincidence, I was travelling to Kyoto too by this November 2016, therefore, I got his contact and ask for the chance to visit his company and green tea farm in Kyoto. After that, I did reserved a day with him for the tour to his company and green tea farm. Morita-san and Kaz-san welcomed us in the JR Uji Station. He fetch us from the JR Uji Station to his company, Kobataen and tea farm. So good of him to do all the plannings for us. Kobataen was around 25 minutes drive from the JR Uji Station. The scenery along the way was very beautiful. Luckily, Kaz-san was an English translator to us. If not, we would not know exactly what is it about in the whole experience of green tea. Here was the schedule he did for us in Kobataen, Uji. Everything was well-planned and organised. We were served with green tea early in the morning after we had arrived at Morita-san's company, Kobataen. They really served us good with care. Really much appreciated for their treats to us. History of Kobataen Kobataen is located in Ujitawara (around 25 minutes drive from the JR Uji Station). Ujitawara in Kyoto is a well known tea town as the birth place of Japanese green tea which was devised in 1738 by Mr. Soen Nagatani. This Aosai Sencha (Uji method green tea) was totally different from previous brewed tea because clean green colour with overwhelmingly exquisite taste and flavour. Kobataen has started business here as tea farmer in the middle of Edo period (1603-1868). Then wholesale start in 1870, mail order in 1920 and became a stock company in 1962. They have passed down the genuine techniques and discriminating judgement of tea leaves as well as accumulating traditional techniques and knowledge about cultivation. They have qualifications of tea appraiser and tea instructor and have been received several prizes at tea contest in the world by continuos technical efforts to make good quality of tea. They do brings you the carefully selected tea sample with best quality, so please evaluate the taste and advise them about your comment. You can order online from them. History of Awards
Kobataen won first prize in the green tea (Sencha) class of the exhibition in Japan on 3rd May 1921 and Grand Gold Prize for Gyokuro in 2007. It has rich flavour with Umami taste. Preparation: Use about 4g of tea leaves for one cup, put about 60 degree celsius of hot water and serve after one minute. Sencha looks very thin like a needle and a little bit of shinny with wavy shape. Experienced the well-balance of Umami, astringency and bitterness of the Sencha tea. Preparation: Use about 3g of tea leaves for one cup, put about 70-80 degree celsius of hot water and serve after one minute. Preparation: Use about 2g of Matcha in a Matcha tea bowl, put about 80-90 degree celsius of hot water aerating by tea whisk so that it will slightly bubbles and smooth. We learned the varieties of green tea in Kobataen such as the most top notch quality of green tea - the Gyokuro, Sencha, Karigane-cha, Genmai-cha, Hoji-cha, Matcha, Fukamushi-cha and etc. The Fukamushi-cha is a steamed green tea with roasted flavours and it is a very general green tea consumed by the local Japanese most of the time. It is cheap and easy to drink. The roasted flavours of Fukamushi-cha caused it to be very addictive to people. Matcha is a very expensive and high-end green tea, therefore, Matcha is only being used for tea ceremony or drink on a very typical day in Japan and not consumed by every Japanese family. However, there are many requests and demands from overseas customers on Matcha for the purpose of baking, desserts, drinks, ice-cream and etc, according to Morita-san. Gyokuro is a very famous and top notch quality green tea in Ujitawara, Kyoto. It has strong flavours with Umami taste. I love Gyokuro and Matcha the most. How to make and serve a good cup of matcha, gyokuro and green tea T-bag? Wonderful experience of it. The amount of green tea, amount of hot water, temperature of the hot water and waiting time for the tea to infuse plays an important role in serving a good cup of green tea. These are the 4 main keys to serve a good cuppa of green tea. Enjoy and experienced it differently with different amount of green tea and the waiting infuse time of green tea. Gyokuro and Sencha basically comes from a different group of green tea. There are 2 different groups of green tea which is the Rotenen (no shed, directly under the Sun) and Oishitaen (shed away from the direct Sunlight). Utensils and different pots were used to serve a good cup of green tea too. There were steps and time consuming in serving green tea, therefore, you have to be very patient in making a good cup of green tea. Good things usually needs more time and patient, does not comes quickly. You may get the green tea T-bags from them. You may just need to pour the mineral water into the tea bags and you are ready to go ! Fast and tasty. The tea bags they selling was really as good as the one they make and serve freshly too. I really did enjoy it. I bought myself the green tea T-bags too ! Reicha (Cold tea) Preparation: Use about 5-6g of tea leaves for one cup, put about 60-70 degree celsius of hot water and pour the tea in a glass with ice-cubes in about 90 seconds. Take tea on the rocks. It has stronger taste. For people like me need fast and easy on the go, will buy the Green tea T-bags and just drop in the T-bag to my water bottle and ready to drink ! Well, it did have strong taste too ! The making of Matcha tea was my favourite section of all. Love making matcha. I even make matcha latte at home. You may need 2 scoops of green tea to serve for 2 persons. Then pour in some water and make it like a smooth paste-texture, without clump. After that, add in a little bit more water and make it smooth with fast motion till small bubbles appeared. Then it was done and ready to be served. Before the green tea class ended, we were given 3 different kinds of green tea powder from different places to try on and evaluate on their taste and flavours. For me, I love their gyokuro green tea. The taste and flavours were fabulous and strong. It was really the best experience to visit Morita-san's company and his green tea farm. I was so honoured to be so welcomed by Morita-san and Kaz-san for the trip in Uji, Kyoto. He planned everything well for us without any complaining I can do. So nice of him to do the touring for us in Uji and also brought us for lunch with his car. You guys can book him for a green tea tour too when you are planning to visit Kyoto. Uji is just about 30 minutes away from Kyoto by trains. So please do make a visit to Uji too if you are in Kyoto. Another nature beauty for you to explore in depth. Kobataen Co. Ltd.
Address: 49, Nakasuji, Tachikawa, Ujitawara Town, Tsuduki County, Kyoto, Japan 610-0231. Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.kobataen.com/en/
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