Premium Black Tea 上紅茶

Our flagship Japanese black tea, made from first-flush Yabukita leaves grown in our mountain fields in Fujieda, Shizuoka. Japanese black tea ( wakoucha , 和紅茶) was once produced widely across Japan before cheaper imports pushed it to the margins in the twentieth century. We've spent years relearning the craft — adapting classical black tea processing to the character of Japanese tea trees and terroir to create something full-bodied and bold, but unmistakably Japanese in its softness and clarity . What sets this lot apart is the unka bite . Unka (ウンカ, the tea green leafhopper) is the same insect responsible for Taiwan's legendary Oriental Beauty oolong: as the bugs feed on the young leaves, the plant releases defense compounds that naturally produce honey, muscat, and ripe stone-fruit aromatics in the finished tea. Possible only because we farm without pesticides — a quiet gift of organic agriculture. The cup pours a deep amber-red, with a rounded body, natural sweetness, and none of the sharp tannic bite of mass-produced black teas. Excellent on its own, and gentle enough to enjoy without milk or sugar. Brewing guidelines: 2 piled tsp. to 200–300 ml water at 90°C / 194°F, steeped for 2–3 minutes. Cultivar: Yabukita Harvest: First flush, spring — unka-bitten leaves Cultivation: Certified JAS Organic. Grown pesticide-free. Fertilized with organic compost. For wholesale price, please contact us. Sold on NATURALITEA (https://naturalitea.com/products/premium-black-tea-上紅茶). The price shown is the retail price on that storefront on 2026-10-24, not a GreenB2B quote or a wholesale price.