PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT: Ikumi Village - Unique Teas Harvested In Nature's Seasonal Cycles
Ikumi Village is located in the green mountainous region of Shimada City in Shizuoka Prefecture. In harmony with the natural cycles of the seasons, they use traditional tea plantation farming methods that have been certified by World Heritage Tea Plantation Farmers.
Their mission is to produce genuine teas that contain natural nourishment from local mountains, rivers and forests. In addition to traditional green tea, they offer a wide variety of unique teas which vary with the seasons. These include sakura or cherry blossoms (which was used in a baking competition for Lilly's Japanese punch cake), sanshu flowers, black tea, Oolong tea and a rare type of roasted "Karakurenai" tea created using the "chagusaba" method which is certified under the Global Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIASH).
One of our favorite teas in their unique Amacha Ajisai (Sweet Hydrangea) Tea, which we featured in our July 2019 Nourishing Essentials Care Package.
This "amacha" or "sweet tea", isn't made from ordinary tea leaves, but is a special Japanese herbal medicine harvested from a specific type of "gaku hydrangea" that grows only in a limited area, even in Japan.
These beautiful plants produce a tea that is 400 to 1000 times sweeter than sugar, but with no calories and no caffeine. It's even been used as a natural sugar substitute.
When steeped, it has a soft golden hue and a sweet nectar-like aroma. The taste is a mellow sweetness with hints of floral and licorice flavors. You can drink it as is or add it to other teas as a sweetener. You can serve it cold with lemons as a refreshing lemonade or use it on its own as a natural sugar substitute.
Learn more about Ikumi Village at https://www.ikumimura.com
