Tamaryokucha


The tamaryokucha is a fine Japanese green tea, also commonly known as guricha. It has a tangy, berry-like taste, with a long almondy aftertaste and a deep aroma with tones of citrus, grass, and berries.
It can be processed in one of two ways to destroy the enzymes: pan fried, or steamed. Many believe that steaming preserves the vitamins and antioxidants better than pan-frying. The taste varies between the two as well. The pan-fried version has more of an aroma of cooked vegetables. In both cases, the leaves are then rolled into "comma" shapes.
It is produced in the Kyūshū area. The tea is golden yellow and it should be steeped at 70°C for about 2 minutes or 80°C for about 1 minute. The caffeine level is normal for green tea and it can be drunk throughout the day. It can be reinfused, with a slightly different taste.
The name tama-ryoku-cha means "coiled-green-tea", and guri-cha means "curly-tea". Both names refer to the comma-shaped, coiled leaves.