( This event is conducted in English )
We are delighted to welcome Yuta Hiraoka back to Sing Tehus for a new tasting exploring two contemporary expressions of Japanese tea: Wakoucha, Japanese black tea, and Annon, a new approach to powdered Japanese tea.
Yuta previously joined us at Sing Tehus for an evening dedicated to the art of tea blending. This time, he returns from Shizuoka with a selection of teas that reflect another side of Japanese tea production and the diversity found within the mountain tea regions surrounding Shizuoka City.
The first part of the evening will introduce Annon, a powdered tea brand created by Yuta’s younger brother, Kota Hiraoka. Unlike matcha, Annon is produced from first-flush sencha leaves grown in Tamakawa, a mountainous tea-growing region of Shizuoka. With its rich aroma and depth of flavour, Annon was developed as a way of bringing high-quality Japanese tea more easily into everyday life. Yuta will introduce the tea, its production and different ways of preparing and enjoying it, both hot and cold.
Following a short break, we will turn our attention to Wakoucha — Japanese black tea. Although Japan is best known internationally for green tea, a growing number of producers are exploring the possibilities of black tea made from Japanese cultivars and growing conditions.
Yuta will present first-flush Wakoucha from Ryogochi, another mountainous tea district of Shizuoka City, focusing on the soft, clear character and lingering finish that first attracted him to these teas.
We will taste several cultivars side by side, allowing us to explore how remarkably different their characters can be: Benifuuki, with rich rose and menthol notes; Koushun, displaying a more tropical fruit character; and Zairai, with bright citrus notes.
Across two hours, Yuta will guide us through these very different teas, offering an opportunity to discover both a new generation of Japanese black tea and a contemporary way of enjoying powdered sencha — while sharing his perspective on how Japanese tea culture continues to develop beyond its more familiar forms.
Where: Sing Tehus, Rosenvængets Allé 6, 2100 København Ø
