毎年GW辺りの茶摘みの時期になると、茶農家さんたちは大忙しです。朝早くから近所の方々が総出で茶摘みを手伝います。私も契約農家さんの茶畑で初めて茶摘みを体験してきました。
抹茶は茶摘み前に、寒冷紗と呼ばれる黒いシートをかけます。これは直射日光が新芽に当たるのを防ぐためです。光合成ができない新芽にはストレスがかかりますが、その分栄養が凝縮されるそうです。1か月以上日光に当てられていない新芽は、色が鮮やかでとても柔らかく、みずみずしい香りがします。摘むのは新芽のみです。
摘んだ茶葉は隣接する碾茶工場に運ばれます。 新芽を仕立てる工程については、次のブログでご紹介しますね。
When the tea-picking season arrives around Golden Week every year, tea farmers are very busy. From early morning, people from the neighborhood come together to help with the tea picking. I also had the opportunity to experience tea picking for the first time in a contracted farmer's tea plantation.
Before tea picking, matcha is covered with a black sheet called "kankyosha" to prevent direct sunlight from reaching the new buds. Although the new buds that cannot undergo photosynthesis experience stress, it is said that their nutrients become more concentrated as a result. New buds that have been deprived of sunlight for more than a month have vibrant colors and a very soft, fresh fragrance. Only the new buds are picked. The harvested tea leaves are transported to the adjacent tea processing factory.
I will introduce the process of preparing the new buds in the next blog.