Wazuka: Tea Plantations - Country side
After the café, we drove further into the Wazuka countryside, with rolling hills and tea plantations.
The Yamashiro Basin, home of the Uji-cha area, has significant temperature differences between day and night, and between seasons, which help concentrate the rich, sweet flavor in the tea leaves. The basin’s topography and the Wazuka River running through the center of the town also help create fog, which protects the tea leaves from direct sunlight and keeps new shoots soft and tender. Frost sometimes occurs during the cold months, but the tea cultivation masters protect their prized tea plants by methodically covering every row.
Difficult to mass produce due to the mountainous terrain, Wazuka tea is known for large variety and small quantities. With various varieties, cultivation methods and production techniques, nearly 300 tea farms now engage in friendly competition while proudly producing unique, single origin Wazuka teas.