Ko Cha 古茶 Old Tea
This is the term used to describe the previous year’s tea after the current year’s initial harvest of tea.
Keihan Cha 畦畔茶 Paddy Levee Tea
Tea from plants that are planted around the edges of farm-land. A common practice in rural areas where people produce their own tea for their families and friends only.
Kawayanagi 川柳 River Willow
One type of Bancha. A by-product of Sencha production, the long, flat, green leaves sorted from Sencha Aracha. Within the Bancha category this is considered a higher grade with a light and refreshing aroma. Composed mainly of the new shoot that has hardened and folded over 2 or 3 times in processing.
Karigane 雁音 Goose Sound
A stem and leaf by-product of Tencha, Gyokuro or high-grade sencha. Usually packaged with the tips (mecha) to enhance the flavor. Considered a high quality form of kukicha, but often not significantly different from kukicha because of corrupt naming practices.
Kari Bancha 刈番茶 Trimming Bancha
The clippings resultant of the shaping of the tea plant after the first or second harvest. Usually used for various grades of Bancha or Hojicha. Hojicha made from these clippings can often be more rich in flavor as they capture much of the new leaf that remains after the first harvests of the season.
Kamaka 釜香 Cauldron Fragrance
An aroma unique to the production of Kamairi-cha.
Kama-iri Cha 釜炒り茶 Cauldron Fried Tea
Green tea produced by stopping oxidation through frying the raw tea leaf in a heated wok.
Kabuse Cha かぶせ茶 Covered Tea
Tea using the leaves harvested from tea bushes that are covered, usually with a plastic mesh tube, to protect them from direct sunlight, for up to 2 weeks prior to harvest during the growing period.
Jyounetsu 蒸熱 Steam Heat
The process of steaming the tea leaf. The first step taking in processing the leaf after it is picked.
Jin ジン
Also called Me-cha or Me-fun. After sorting the tea, the fannings resulting from the sorting with between a 16 and 40 grain mesh are air sorted and these tips, or buds, are the product. The flavor is strong, but not deep in character and it steeps very quickly. This process is rarely completed properly and the result is what is essentially Konacha being called Mecha or Jin.