Ise Cha - Traditional Foods in Japan | Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

MieIse Cha

Classification (Large)

Others

Classification (Small)

Beverages

Main ingredients used

tea leaves

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Region of inheritance

Prefecture-wide

Product overview (special characteristics and types)

Ise tea is the overall term for teas produced in Mie Prefecture. Mie is blessed with a natural environment, topography, and weather conditions that are conducive to tea cultivation, and is currently known as the third-largest producer of tea in Japan, after Shizuoka and Kagoshima Prefectures, with respect to both tea cultivation area and production volume (as of 2022).
The types of tea produced throughout the prefecture are unique. The Hokusei area, which extends to the foothills of the Suzuka mountain range (and includes Yokkaichi City, Suzuka City, Kameyama City, Inabe City), produces kabuse-cha, which features a beautiful green color and mellow taste. Fukamushi-sencha, with its rich fragrance and deep astringency, is the mainstream product in the Chunansei area (Matsusaka City, Watarai Town, Odai Town, Tsu City, and Taki Town). The production of the luxury tea kabuse-cha is the largest in Japan, which especially characterizes the quality of Ise tea.

History and culture

Ise tea has a long history. According to records on the first tea cultivation, the chief priest of the Iimorisan-Jorinji Temple in Yokkaichi City’s Suizawa region made tea from the tea trees at the temple during the Heian period (Engi era) and encouraged villagers to have some. However, the flourishing tea culture we know today seems to have started in the early Edo period, when the Komono clan promoted the tea industry. According to records, the other tea production area in Mie spread during the early Kamakura period, throughout the middle and upper basins of the Kushidagawa and Miyagawa rivers, after a monk of Kyoto’s Kozanji Temple named Myoe planted tea plants received from the Zen master Eisai. Either way, the Ise Province became a major tea production area during the Edo period, and Ise merchants peddled Ise tea widely, from Edo to the Tohoku region. It is believed that most of the tea sold by Ise merchants was from the Nansei area, and the tea made in the Hokusei area was sold as uji-cha by Omi merchants in Kyoto.
In the Meiji and Taisho eras, the production of tea grew as an export to America. However, with the decrease of exports due to wars and the conversion of tea fields to grow other agricultural products because of the lack of food, the production of tea declined. The trend of having stricter food labelling in the 2000s was used as an opportunity to gain momentum toward rebuilding the Ise tea brand. When the revision of the Commercial Code related to regional brand protection was conducted in 2006, the Chamber of Tea Association of Mie Prefecture once more defined [Ise tea] to certify and register it as a local brand.
In recent years, there has been an increase in stores and restaurants where one can buy and drink Ise tea, with directly managed dealerships and cafes operated by Ise tea producers. The ways to enjoy Ise tea have also been expanding, and tourists from outside the prefecture have been visiting shops where they can enjoy the tea with homemade sweets while looking out over the tea fields in a nature-filled environment.
One figure that must not be forgotten when talking about Ise tea is Kahei Otani (1845–1933), who was born in Iitaka Town, Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture. He established the Japan Central Tea Traders’ Association and contributed toward improving the quality of tea and promotion of Ise tea, which led to him being called a [tea saint].

Production method

Kabuse-cha processed in the Hokusei area is cultivated out of direct sunlight for one to two weeks before harvesting, according to specifications unique to Mie Prefecture. Tea with even longer covered periods, for approximately 20 days, is called gyokuro or tencha. Covering the leaves increases amino acid (theanine) content and creates a deeper green color, along with maturing a unique fragrance called ooika.
The fukamushi-sencha processed in the Chunansei area is steamed longer than conventional sencha (approximately two times longer) to create tea with less bitterness and astringency, and with a sweet, umami, and strong flavor.

Conservation and succession efforts

As an organization that makes efforts to promote and publicize Ise tea, the Ise Tea Promotion Council shares manufacturing methods and how to brew Ise tea through their website and other means. They also feature recipes using tea grounds left over after drinking in their activities to promote and educate the public on Ise tea.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department of Mie Prefecture conducts campaigns and product development toward their goal of helping people casually enjoy Ise tea at various occasions, and is taking diverse measures to create new demand.

Main consumption method

Although the tea is usually brewed with hot or cold water, recipes mixing in used tea grounds in dough or for sweets have been invented. Enjoying the entirety of the leaves allows you to consume all of the nutrients contained within.

At-home recipes：Rice cooked with Ise tea

Ingredients

Ise tea

1 teaspoon

Rice

2 go (1 go = approx. 0.18 liters)

[A] Sake: 2 tablespoons Mirin: 2 tablespoons Salt: 1/2 teaspoon

Water

As needed

Thin green spring onion shoots (cut into small pieces)

As needed

How to make

Wash rice and let the water drain off.

Put the rice from 1 above and Ise tea in a pot for boiling rice, add water to the 2-go line, and cook the rice.

Put the cooked rice in a bowl and top it with thin green spring onion shoots.