Sakura-No Shincha MOE 2023: Harvest and processing

Kazuya Matsumoto harvesting his Shincha MOE 2023 on the 16th of April

Suddenly everything is happening very fast. Just a few days ago, Kazuya Matsumoto wrote to us that he expected to harvest his Shincha MOE around 19th April. Now it was already Sunday the 16th of April and Kazuya Matsumoto has started the Shincha season in his tea garden. In the afternoon he harvested the leaves, which were then cooled overnight in the factory to develop a flowery fragrance. On 17th April, Kazuya first processed them into aracha and then finished the final tea. Since very small leaves are harvested very early for the MOE, Kazuya Matsumoto foregoes any sorting. During the shiage, the shincha is only heated (hi-ire) and checked to ensure that there are no foreign bodies in the tea. Compared to last year, the MOE is ready 5 days earlier this year.