Elmwood founders Bruce & Shelley Richardson first visited the Sakamoto Organic Tea Garden in Kagoshima, Japan, in 2019.
Master Sakamoto takes great pride in his garden's “bokashi,” which roughly translates to “fermented organic matter.” He uses composted organic plant food, including rice bran and indigenous microorganisms, one of the key ingredients in his nutrient-rich tea. This bokashi is the only fertilizer used on his plants and is free of chemicals and pesticides found in many other tea farmers' soils.
He also grinds carefully selected, mineral-rich rocks to mix with his soil, adding essential minerals and assisting in the flow of water, microorganisms, and nutrients.
Master Sakamoto puts his plants into almost total darkness three weeks before harvest, which intensifies the chlorophyll and forces the amino acid L-theanine up from the roots. He only picks in the spring, and then the plants are allowed to rest until the next year's harvest.
According to the FDA, Consuming Just Two Cups of Black or Green Tea Daily Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease and Diabetes.
