Tea & drinks ── Nihoncha (Japanese tea)
Sayama-cha
Sayama-cha — 'the taste settled by Sayama'
A Saitama tea-growing region celebrated in the old saying 'color from Shizuoka, fragrance from Uji, taste settled by Sayama.' A distinctive finishing roast called Sayama-biire is said to give the tea a sweet, rich flavor.
- Origin: Saitama
- By growing region
- About 40 km northwest of Tokyo
What it's made of
Grown across the Sayama hills centered on Iruma, Tokorozawa, and Sayama cities, this tea is said to develop thick leaf flesh from growing slowly in a cool climate. Its depth of flavor has long been praised in the saying 'color from Shizuoka, fragrance from Uji, taste settled by Sayama.' The thick leaf resists shrinking even when steamed, brewing into a deep green liquor where the toastiness and sweetness from the finishing roast come through more clearly than in ordinary sencha.
How it's made
A distinctive finishing roast called Sayama-biire is said to be the defining step. Applying a firm heat to dry the leaf thoroughly is said to both improve storage and draw out toastiness and sweetness, and this finishing technique is said to be what really decides Sayama tea's flavor. Sayama-biire is said to use a lower temperature over a longer stretch as a guide, a technique for drying the leaf slowly without driving off its aroma.
Why it took this shape
Situated farther north than the other major producing regions, the Sayama hills' harsh winter cold is said to have nurtured leaf with thicker flesh. Compensating for that harsh climate with a firm finishing roast is said to be what built Sayama tea's distinctively rich flavor. The Sayama hills sit at a somewhat higher elevation within the Kanto plain, and being exposed to winter frost and cold winds is said to be why the leaf grows thick — a harshness of climate also said to have been the soil in which the area's distinctive finishing-roast technique was honed.
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
Contrast
- Shizuoka-chaA tea-producing prefecture where distinctly different growing areas coexist — from the vast flatlands of the Makinohara plateau to mountain gardens like Kawane and Honyama. It's said to be one of the country's largest tea-producing regions.
- 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.
Also from Saitama
- Sakekasu Miso RamenA winter-only ramen from Ageo City, where sake lees from a long-running local brewery are worked into a Chinese restaurant's miso broth. The lees' depth and aroma layer over the miso's savoriness, leaving a mellow finish that warms the body in the cold months.
- Dojo NiPond loach caught in the paddies of eastern Saitama, simmered sweet and savory with shaved burdock, from a land fed by the Arakawa and Tone rivers. Rich in nutrients, it was valued as a tonic and a food for pregnant women.
- Gyoda Furai"Furai" from around Gyoda, Saitama, despite its name, isn't fried — it's grilled. Chopped scallion and pork go on a wheat-flour batter cooked on a griddle, an okonomiyaki-like snack said to have caught on with the women working the town's tabi-sock factories.
- Higashimatsuyama YakitoriPork cheek grilled over charcoal and brushed with a spicy miso sauce.
- HiyajiruSesame and miso ground in a mortar, mixed with summer vegetables like cucumber and shiso, then chilled with cold water. It serves as a dipping broth for udon in noodle-loving Saitama, and Kawajima town calls it suttate.
- Iga ManjuA sweet bean bun wrapped in red rice and steamed, said to originate in Konosu. Named for its resemblance to a spiky chestnut burr, it balances a sweet-salty flavor with a chewy bite.