Name
Yabukita literally translates as "north shrub" (Yabu means "shrub" and Kita means "north").
The cultivar was named by a renowned tea researcher named Hikosaburō Sugiyama (杉山彦三郎, 1857-1941). When he planted tea trees in his field to conduct research, he aptly named the group in the north of his bamboo shrub as "Yabukita" and those in the south as "Yabuminami."
History
In 1927, the Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute in Shizuoka Prefecture conducted a series of experiments to determine the best tea cultivar. Yabukita proved to be the most successful in yield and resilience and was selected as Shizuoka Prefecture's recommend cultivar in 1945.
Yabukita was officially registered in 1957 and has since then become THE most popular cultivar in Japan, accounting for over 70% of all cultivars grown in the country.
A notable trend in recent years is that the third wave tea movement has led to more people paying attention to cultivars aside from Yabukita. However, Yabukita remains a cultivar that people enjoy, and perhaps is a flavour that people instantly evoke when thinking of Japanese green tea.
Characteristics
- bright green leaves
- blueish-green liquor
- warm, balanced, long-lasting aroma
- refreshing flavour
- easy to drink, perfectly balanced
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Reference: 新版 茶の品種
