[Miyagi] Press conference to announce the completion of Shiogama's new symbol "Date tea"

On July 27, 2017, a press conference to announce the completion of "Date Tea" was held at the Ichinomiya Shiogama Shrine Auditorium in Mutsu Province.
Date tea is a Japanese tea produced and sold by Yabeen Tea Co., Ltd., which has a store in Shiogama City.
This is the northernmost tea made from tea leaves grown in Momou-cho, Ishinomaki City.
This time, we will introduce "Date tea", a new specialty of Shiogama.

What is Yabeen Tea Shop?

Yabeen Tea Shop is a long-established tea shop that will celebrate its 84th anniversary in 2017.
We work every day to convey the deliciousness of Japanese tea from Shiogama to the whole country and even the world.

The deliciousness of tea is guaranteed.
It is even used in the tea served on JR East's luxury sleeper train, TRAIN SUITE Shiki-shima, which began operating this year.
We provide complete direction on how the tea is brewed, allowing customers who do not drink alcohol to fully enjoy its charm.

The ``Date tea'' that Yabeen is introducing today is the northernmost quality tea that Yabeen has newly produced and sold.

What is Date tea?

Date tea is a Japanese tea produced in Momou-cho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.

Previously, it was sold as "Peach Tea" and was loved by local people, but in order to make it more familiar to people all over the country, we changed the name to "Date Tea" and made a renewal debut.
The name "Date" is a symbol representing Miyagi Prefecture.
Using this name, our aim is to communicate the culture of Miyagi Prefecture to people all over the country in a catchy way.

There were voices expressing regret that Momoo's name would be lost.
However, if we put up a symbol called ``Date'' and draw attention from all over the country, and then explain that tea was produced in Momou Town, we can publicize to the whole country that tea is grown in Momoo Town. Toru Yabe, president of Yabeen, says they have made the decision.

The name "Momoyu" was not simply lost.
The packaging for Date tea is designed in the style of ``Kiriko'', which is a part of Date culture, and the name Momosu lives on in the ``peach pattern'' in the upper center, which is an image of the sun shining brightly. It is.

By the way, the name of this Date tea is the official name of the Date family, approved by Mr. Yasumune Date, the 18th generation head of the family, counting from Date Masamune!

Now, what I'm curious about is the taste of Date tea.
There was a tasting corner at the venue, and I tried some, but the moment I drank it, I thought, "Japanese tea can be this delicious!"
I was so shocked.

There were two types of iced cold brew date tea served at the venue: sencha and genmaicha.
The rich aroma that spreads as soon as you take a sip of both stirs your heart in a way that no other tea has ever experienced before.
No bitterness, sweet taste.
A slight astringency at the end leaves a refreshing aftertaste.

By serving it with ice water, the elution of caffeine, which is a bitter component, is suppressed, resulting in a Japanese tea that has almost no bitterness and is easy to drink.
As you can see, it is recommended to drink Date tea with iced water, but you can also enjoy the elegant bitterness by using warm water.
Try drinking different types of tea depending on the season and mood to enjoy Date tea more deeply.

How to drink Date tea deliciously

It is recommended to drink Date tea over ice, and special teapots have been made that can also be used as shakers.
It's easy to make.
Put the tea leaves in the teapot and pour the ice directly on top.
Just add room temperature water and shake lightly for about 90 seconds.

If you don't have a special teapot, you can add ice and water and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes before adding it to make it taste better.
Of course, you can enjoy a different charm if you brew it with hot water, so please try both.
Date tea will be officially released on August 5, 2017.
You can purchase it at Yabeen Chaho stores in Shiogama or online.
The 350ml plastic bottle is on sale in advance, so if you want to try it as soon as possible, please purchase it.

INFORMATION