The annual Obubu tea picking experience ended successfully today on the autumn equinox.
We were blessed with good weather and it was a very pleasant tea picking experience.
This time we had 4 guests, 3 volunteer staff, Japanese intern Shota and his staff.
We all had a great time together, relaxing and having fun.
We started with a greeting from Kita, our representative, and then we started picking tea in the fresh air of the tea fields.
Wazuka’s regular tea plantation owners also joined in.
Oh, and this is Wazuka’s mascot character, Cha-Cha! She’s so cute!
First time tea pickers and regulars alike had a great time together.
For lunch we had our usual tea lunch box.
Of course, Lantana Cafe in Kizugawa City made a special lunch box!
You can’t get this bento anywhere else, so some of our guests come to enjoy it…. LOL!
It was a delicious autumnal bento! Thank you for the food.
And here’s another tradition! Freshly picked tea leaves are made into tempura.
Even though it is autumn leaves, the new buds are still soft!
Tempura is crispy! The texture is irresistible.
Now that we’re full, it’s time to make tea from noon.
Everyone works together to fry the freshly picked leaves in the kettle.
The process of rubbing. The water from the tea leaves comes out from inside.
The tea leaves are getting soggy.
After two hours of frying and rubbing, the tea is finally ready!
Finally, let’s compare!
The colour of the tea is beautiful.
Both teams worked very hard and the tea was very tasty!
Today was the last event for this year, but we’ll see you next spring!
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