Category: GABA Red Tea (Wakocha)
Origin: JAPAN, Shizuoka Prefecture, Kawane Town.
Cultivar: Mirai
Quantity: 30g per pack
Harvest: Spring (May)
 
Description:
GABA is an acronym for Gamma-AminoButyric Acid. It is a naturally occurring amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter in the brain, with potential regulatory effects on anxiety, stress and fear. GABA-enriched foods and beverages like rice, soy milk and chocolates are common in Japan. GABA also occurs naturally in Camellia sinensis, albeit at small dosis.
 
GABA Tea is a tea that has undergone a special oxygen-free fermentation process, resulting in higher concentrations of GABA in the leaves, on average 10 to 30 times higher than in green tea, with a more potent relaxing effect.
 
This technology was discovered in Japan by Dr. Tsushida Tojiro and his collaborators  who began developing GABA-rich tea in 1984 and successfully produced a new type of tea in which almost all glutamic acid was converted to GABA without changing the content of catechin or caffeine.
 
The GABA process affects the aspect, the flavor and the taste of tea.
 
While GABA Green teas never really ranked high in terms of deliciousness, this GABA Red Tea is a marvellous beverage. Being made by the producer’s created Cultivar Mirai みらい meaning “future”, it has simply no equivalent in Japan or elsewhere.
 
Preparation:
4g (0.14oz) of leaves per serving
80ml of water at 90°C (194°F) per serving
First brew: 45 seconds
Subsequent brews: 20-30 seconds