Sencha Zairai

Sencha Zairai 50g

2026 New Harvest!

This is Horo Tea’s original blend, made mainly from Zairai tea leaves with the addition of Yabukita. The tea is grown in open fields in the mountainous area of Kamo, Kizugawa City, in southern Kyoto.

Zairai tea plants are naturally diverse, rather than uniform like many modern tea cultivars. Each plant carries its own character, bringing gentle complexity, natural depth and a quietly rustic quality to the finished tea.

The leaves are finished with a slightly stronger final firing by a master tea roaster from a long-established Kyoto tea company whose history dates back to Japan’s Meiji era (1868–1912). This brings out a warm roasted aroma and gives the flavour a clear centre, without overwhelming the fresh green character of the sencha.

When brewed with relatively hot water for a short time, the roasted fragrance opens first, followed by a light yet defined flavour. The tea has strength and presence without becoming sharply bitter.

It is an expressive sencha where the natural depth of Zairai meets the warmth and precision of the roaster’s craft.

Flavour Profile

Light and clean, with a quietly rustic character, a warm roasted aroma and restrained bitterness.

Hot Brew

Tea: 3g
Water: 100ml
Temperature: 85°C
Brewing Time: 20 seconds

Steps

1. Add 3g of tea leaves to the teapot.

2. Pour 100ml of water at 85°C over the tea leaves.

3. Steep for 20 seconds.

4. Strain completely and enjoy.

This short, relatively hot infusion brings out the tea’s roasted aroma, clear flavour and balanced strength.

Second infusion:
Use water at 90°C. Pour and strain immediately.

Third infusion:
Use boiling water at 100°C. Pour and strain immediately.

Cold Brew

Tea: 3g
Water: 500ml
Water Temperature: Cold water
Brewing Time: 3–4 hours

Steps

1. Add 3g of tea leaves to a bottle.

2. Pour in 500ml of cold water.

3. Leave to steep in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours.

4. Strain and enjoy chilled.

Farmer and Roaster

The tea is grown by an experienced tea farmer in Kamo, Kizugawa City. Its final processing and firing are carried out by a master tea roaster at a long-established tea company in Kamikoma, Kyoto, whose history dates back to Japan’s Meiji era (1868–1912).

Origin: Kizugawa City

Kamo lies in the hilly landscape of Kizugawa City, where the Kizu River flows through the surrounding countryside.

Morning mist often rises from the river and settles over the tea fields like a natural curtain, gently softening the direct sunlight. This subtle shading helps the leaves retain their natural umami and contributes to the tea’s clear, layered character.

Surrounded by forests, water and farmland, the tea quietly reflects the natural diversity of the landscape in which it was grown.

Reference : Kizugawa City Office