Foreign Student (hereinafter FS): Since Japanese tea is healthy, in recent years non-Japanese have also started drinking it.
In terms of tea, what kinds are available?
Teacher (hereinafter T): Most tea produced in Japan is ryokucha (green tea).
Sencha – typically made by steaming, crumpling, and drying tea leaves – accounts for two thirds of total production.
FS: Gyokuro (high-grade green tea) is delicious, but how is it made?
T: Gyokuro is made from shoots that have been covered for about 20 days by reed screens or straw.
By blocking out the sunlight bitterness is reduced and the taste is improved.
FS: I’ve heard the words ichibancha and bancha, what kinds of tea are these?
T: Ichibancha is tea made from the year’s first harvest of shoots, and the term shincha (new tea) is generally used to refer to the same thing.
Bancha is not Japan’s staple green tea, and is made from the leaves that come out after ichibancha has been picked.
FS: Houjicha and genmaicha are sold in vending machines.
What sorts of tea are they?
T: Both are fragrant teas. Houjicha is a roasted tea made of sencha, bancha and other ingredients.
Genmaicha is a tea made from roasted genmai (unpolished rice), which is soaked in water and steamed, to which is added about the same quantity of teas such as sencha and bancha.
You can enjoy its simple taste.
FS: Besides tea ceremonies, maccha (powdered green tea) is also used in ice cream and cakes.
How is it made?
T: The tea leaves are not crumpled after being steamed, but dried as they are, and ground into powder with a stone mortar just before shipping.
In conveyor belt sushi restaurants, powdered green tea left over from the purification process of tea is used.
FS: Is there any way to improve the taste of tea?
T: The key is the temperature of the water. For sencha tea leaves are soaked in water heated to 70 to 80 degrees (centigrade) for about 30 seconds, and for gyokuro in water of about 50 to 60 degrees for one to two minutes.
For drinking tea all you need is a kyuusu (teapot) and a chawan (tea cup).
For sencha a small kyuusu and a thin chawan are said to be desirable.
Recently teabags have become more popular, making it easier to serve tea. In addition, a variety of bottled teas can be easily purchased from vending machines and in convenience stores and these also taste good.
FS: Which place is famous for tea production?
T: That honor goes to Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan’s number-one producer of teas.
Its warm climate, clean water, fertile soils, and clear skies make it suitable for the production of delicious teas.
FS: It is said that in Japan tea is not only a drink, but also a spiritual practice called sado (tea ceremony). What is this exactly?
T: In sado, tea plays an essential role in encounters between people.
You do not simply drink together, but the intention is to wholeheartedly entertain guests who you may never see again by sharing a refreshing experience.
Tea is essential to Japanese cuisine. Japanese food – including ochazuke – which uses tea as a base flavor has now caught on in other parts of the world.
留学生
ryuugakusei
Foreign Student
(以下、留):
ika, ryuu
hereinafter FS
日本茶は
nihonncha ha
Japanese tea
健康によいこと
kennkou ni yoi koto
is healthy
近年
kinnnenn
(in) recent years
外国人
gaikokujinn
non-Japanese
飲まれる
nomareru
drinking (it)
ようになりました。
youni narimashita.
have started
お茶には
ocha niha
in terms of tea
どんな種類が
donnna shurui ga
what kinds
あるのですか。
aru no desu ka.
are available ?
(以下、先):
ika, senn
hereinafter T
生産される
seisann sareru
produced
緑茶
ryokucha
green tea
乾燥させる
kannsou saseru
(and) drying
一般的な
ippannteki na
typically
製法でつくる
seihou de tsukuru
made by
全体
zenntai
total production
3分の2を
sannbunn no ni wo
two thirds
占めています。
shimete imasu.
accounts (for)
「玉露」は
gyokuro ha
high-grade green tea
つくるのですか。
tsukuru no desu ka.
is it made ?
玉露は、
gyokuro ha,
Gyokuro
ヨシズ
yoshizu
reed screens
20日間
nijyuunichikann
by twenty days for
覆った
ootta
(that) have been covered
原料にします。
gennroyu ni shimasu.
is made from
日光を
nikkou wo
(the) sunlight
渋味が
shibumi ga
bitterness
少なく、
sukunaku,
is reduced and
増します。
mashimasu.
is improved
「一番茶」
ichibann cha
ichibancha
「番茶」という
banncha toiu
(and) bancha
言葉も
kotoba mo
(the) words
聞きますが、
kikimasu ga,
(I)’ve heard
一番茶は
ichibann cha ha
Ichibancha
その年の
sono toshi no
the year’s
摘み採って
tsumi totte
harvest (of)
新茶と
shinncha to
(the term) new tea
使われます。
tsukaware masu.
is used
一番茶を
ichibann cha wo
ichibancha
摘んだ
tsunnda
has been picked
出てくる
detekuru
(that) come out
つくられます。
tsukuraremasu.
is made
自動販売機
jidou hannbaiki
vending machines
「ほうじ茶」
houjicha
houjicha
「玄米茶」が
gennmaicha ga
genmaicha
売られています。
urarete imasu.
are sold
ほうじ茶は
houjicha ha
Houjicha
などを
nado wo
other ingredients
強火でいって
tsuyobi de
roasted
玄米茶は
gennmaicha ha
genmaicha
浸して
hitashite
(which) is soaked and
玄米を
gennmai wo
unpolished rice
同量の割合で
douryou no wariai de
the same quantity (of teas)
お茶
ocha
(a) tea (made from)
さっぱりとした
sappari to shita
(its) simple
楽しめます。
tanoshime masu.
(you can) enjoy
「抹茶」は
maccha ha
powdered green tea
茶の湯
chanoyu
tea ceremonies
アイスクリーム
aisukuri-mu
ice cream
使われています。
tsukawarete imasu.
is used
つくられるのですか。
tsukurareru no desu ka.
is (it) made ?
茶葉を
chaba wo
(the) tea leaves
揉まずに
momazu ni
are not crumpled but
乾燥させ、
kannsou sase,
dried and
出荷する
shukka suru
shipping
直前に
chokuzenn ni
just before
石臼
ishiusu
(a) stone mortar
粉末状にされます。
funnmatsu jyou ni saremasu.
into powder
回転ずし屋
kaitennzushiya
conveyor belt sushi restaurants
精製段階
seisei dannkai
(the) purification process
粉茶を
konacha wo
powdered green tea
使用しています。
shiyou shite imasu.
is used
おいしくする
oishikusuru
to improve (the) taste
あるのですか。
aru no desu ka.
is there any ?
ポイントは
poinnto ha
(the) key <point>
温度
onndo
(the) temperature
煎茶は
senncha ha
for sencha
70~80℃
nanajyuu kara hachijyuu do
seventy to eighty degrees (centigrade)
30秒
sannjyuu byou
(for) thirty seconds
玉露は
gyokuro ha
(and) for gyokuro
50~60℃
gojyuu kara rokujyuu do
(about) fifty to sixty degrees
1、2分
ichi, ni funn
(for) one to two minutes
浸します。
hitashi masu.
are soaked (in water)
必要なのは
hituyou nano ha
(you) need
煎茶は
senncha ha
for sencha
望ましい
nozomashii
to be desirable
いわれます。
iware masu.
are said
最近は
saikinn ha
recently
ティーバッグが
thi-baggu ga
teabags
普及し、
fukyuu shi,
have become more popular
簡単に
kanntann ni
making (it) easier
飲めるようになりました。
nomeru youni narimashita.
to serve tea
自動販売機
jidou hanbaiki
(from) vending machines
コンビニ
konnbini
convenience stores
さまざまな
samazama ha
a variety of
買え、
kae,
can be purchased and
有名なのは
yuumei nano ha
famous
日本一を
nihonnichi wo
Japan’s number-one
誇るのは
hokoru noha
(that) honor
静岡県
shizuokakenn
Shizuoka Prefecture
温暖な気候、
onndann na kikou,
warm climate
おいしい水、
oishii mizu,
clean water
肥沃な土、
hiyoku na tsuchi,
fertile soils
澄んだ空気が
sunnda kuuki ga
(and) clear skies
おいしいお茶
oishii ocha
delicious teas
生産に
seisann ni
(the) production
適しています。
tekishite imasu.
make (it) suitable for
精神的文化
seishinn teki bunnka
(a) spiritual practice
いわれていますが、
iwarete imasu ga,
(it) is said
これは
koreha
what is exactly ?
どのようなものですか。
donoyouna mono desu ka.
this
重要な
jyuuyou na
essential
役割を
yakuwari wo
a[n] role
果たします。
hatashi masu.
plays
ではなく、
deha naku,
(you) do not but
会えない
aenai
(who you) never see
客人を
kyakujinn wo
guests
心の底から
kokoro no soko kara
wholeheartedly
歓待し、
kanntai shi,
to entertain
すがすがしい
sugasugashii
refreshing
気分を
kibunn wo
a[n] experience <mood>
共有するという
kyouyuu suru toiu
by sharing
精神
seishinn
(the) intention <spirit>
食文化
shokubunnka
cuisine <food culture>
かかせません。
kakasemasenn.
is essential
にした
ni shita
(which) uses as
各地
kakuchi
other parts (of)
広がりはじめました。
hirogari hajime mashita.
has (now) caught on