Niyodogawa Tea Pudding

Refreshing flavors that go well with a cup of tea

   Niyodogawa Town, located near the source of the beautiful Niyodo River, is well-known for its production of tea. Recently, the desserts made from the tea here has been attracting attention from near and far, so we traveled from Kochi City on train and bus to where these desserts are manufactured to discover the secret of their popularity.

Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku

 

Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku is popular with females aged 20-40!

  Located near the source of the Shimanto River, the last pristine river in Japan, Tsuno Town is looking to put itself on the map by using its locally-grown hojicha (roasted) tea in a variety of desserts, including the recently introduced Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku.

   Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku is the brainchild of Ichiro Ohara, a “Food Producer” from Kochi who is famous for his “Aguri Kubokawa Meat Bun”(Shimanto Town) and his café “Kaze Koubou”(Kure, Nakatosa Town). Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku strikes a delicate balance between the bitter taste of hojicha and the sweet flavors of bean jam and fresh cream.

Goishi-cha (Fermented Tea)

   The only fermented tea in Japan is produced in Ōtoyo Town, located in the mountainous area of central Kochi. It is called Goishicha and its name comes from its similarity to the shape of go (Japanese checkers) stones.

Tosa Tea ④

How to drink Tosa-cha

   It takes more than simply pouring hot water on tea leaves to make delicious tea. Tea Advisors at Tosa-Cha Café teach customers how to brew Tosa tea for optimum scent and flavour. It is required to pass a certification course with the Nihoncha (Japanese tea) Instructor Association to gain the title of Tea Advisor. The Association also offers certification courses to become a tea instructor, a step above an advisor and something like the sommelier of tea. Unlike wine, however, Tosa-cha is not served with your meal. You will get simpler teas with your meal as the more sophisticated ones are to be savoured on its own or with dessert.

Tosa Tea ③

Tea in Kochi

   What do you think of when you hear “Japanese tea?” Matcha, or powdered green tea, will probably come to mind first, though regular green tea is more commonly consumed in Japan. Yet, with the availability of a wide range of good bottled teas and tea bags, fewer and fewer people—especially those of the younger generation—are making green tea in kyūsu, or Japanese teapots. In particular, Kochi’s green tea consumption is relatively low compared to other prefectures, and many Kochi natives are unaware of the award-winning teas being produced in their own prefecture.

Tosa Tea ②

    In April, we went to visit the Ikegawa Tea Cooperative in Niyodogawa Town to talk to them about the tea industry in Kochi.

Sprinklers are used to prevent frost build-up in winter,
and the lines over the plantations are used to run a black tarp
along that protects the new leaves before a harvest.

Tosa Tea ①

   Have you ever seen the steep rows of tea plantations on the side of the mountains of Tosa? The clumps of deep green leaves packed close together like caterpillars hugging the mountain? A lot of tea is produced in Kochi, and one of the main areas where tea plantations can be readily seen is Niyodogawa Town, some hour and a half up the mountain from Kochi City. Tosa Tea, or Tosa-cha, is one of the main produce of the town, and for this edition of the Tosa Wave, Steven Yuen and Lisa Yasutake went to investigate and report on the source of Tosa-cha in Niyodogawa and made a visit to a café in Kochi City that helps to promote the local tea.