Tea & drinks ── Nihoncha (Japanese tea)
Nishio no Matcha
Nishio matcha — Aichi's registered matcha brand region
Matcha from Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, said to account for roughly a fifth of national production. Tencha production is said to have taken off in earnest from the Meiji era, and in 2009 'Nishio no Matcha' became the first tea-industry regional brand registered specifically for matcha.
- Origin: Aichi Nishio
- By growing region
- About 260 km west of Tokyo
What it's made of
Nishio is said to account for over 80% of tencha production within Aichi Prefecture, and the prefecture as a whole is a leading matcha-producing area nationally. Nishio and neighboring Anjo together hold roughly 150 hectares of tea gardens, producing about 400 tons of tencha a year, said to be around a fifth of the national total. Nishio's tencha keeps a glossy deep green, said to finish into matcha with a shaded aroma and gentle sweetness, its fineness of particle and evenness of color also noted.
How it's made
The process of growing shaded new buds and drying them without rolling into tencha is said to rest on the same shaded cultivation used in traditional regions like Uji. Production is said to have taken off in earnest from the Meiji era, with tencha becoming the area's central product from the late Taisho era, reaching a leading production level within the prefecture by around 1935. Tea gardens spread across the flatland along the Yahagi River, with mechanized shading and picking said to support the region's output.
Why it took this shape
Climate and soil conditions suited to tencha-making are said to have driven the expansion from the Meiji era on. On February 20, 2009, 'Nishio no Matcha' was registered as a regional collective trademark — said to be the first regional tea brand registered nationwide specifically for matcha. The fertile soil and flat terrain shaped by the Yahagi River are said to have provided the conditions for growing the uniform leaf tencha-making needs at volume, driving the region's expansion from the Meiji era on.
Before you go
- How to shop in a depachika (department store food hall)A guide to browsing prepared foods and bento, choosing wagashi as a gift with a good shelf life, sampling etiquette, end-of-day discounts, asking for cold packs and wrapping, and finding your way around a depachika floor.
- Enjoying a bussanten (regional products fair)A guide to what's sold at a bussanten (regional products fair), how to find one, when it gets crowded, shelf life and taking food home, and how to fit one around a trip.
- How to use an antenna shopA guide to what's sold at an antenna shop, its restaurant or eat-in counters, its tourist-information role, the cluster of shops around Ginza and Yurakucho, and how to use one before a trip or for last-minute souvenirs.
Dishes in the same style
- Ise-chaA Mie Prefecture tea region said to rank among the country's largest in both growing area and production. Kabusecha in particular, centered on the northern Hokusei area, is said to lead the nation in output, prized for its rich umami and sweetness.
- Kagoshima-chaA Kagoshima tea region said to lead the country in raw tea (aracha) production. While the yabukita cultivar dominates nationwide, Kagoshima grows a wider range of varieties, said to allow tea-making tailored to different regions and demands.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Also from Aichi
- Funa MisoCrucian carp is simmered slowly with soybeans for around five hours, then finished in a sauce of red miso and coarse sugar. A freshwater fish dish of the Kiso rivers' lower basin, made with fatty winter carp simmered until the bones soften through.
- Gohei MochiFreshly cooked non-glutinous rice is pounded, pressed flat on a skewer, and grilled with a miso glaze. Said to have originated in the mountainous Chubu region, it's traditionally made the night before a festival praying for safety in mountain work.
- Aichi HakozushiVinegared rice is packed into a wooden frame, topped with shrimp, eel, shiitake, and egg arranged diagonally, and pressed. Placing toppings on the diagonal so everyone gets a fair share of each is said to be a feature of the Owari and western Mikawa style, made for celebrations.
- Hebo MeshiAdult and larval giant hornets are simmered sweet and savory, then folded into freshly cooked rice. Said to have served as a prized protein source across the mountains from Shinshu to Okumikawa, it's now more often served as a treat for guests.
- Iga ManjuSweet bean paste is wrapped in rice flour dough, then coated with dyed sticky rice grains. One account ties the name to the grains' resemblance to a chestnut's spiny husk, and in the western Mikawa region it's said to be offered to Hina dolls at the Doll Festival.
- Aichi Miso OdenA pot of sweet red miso sits in the center of the simmering pot, and daikon, tofu, and other ingredients simmered in dashi are dipped into it before eating. While soy-based Kanto-style oden spread in Edo, Aichi is said to have settled on dipping in soybean miso instead.