At the beginning of May, we start picking Sencha leaves, and about two weeks later we begin to harvest Gyokuro and Tencha (the tea leaves used to make Maccha). The first harvest of the year, which is called “New Tea” (or “ First Flush Tea”) is said to have the highest quality of aroma and flavor. For later harvests, our production methods combine the best technologies with a human touch to bring out the true potential of each tea variety.
At Shohokuen, we’re serious about the safety of our products. Before any of our delicious teas touch your lips, they are subject to a strict set of standards that ensure their safety. The following is an introduction to just a few of our strictly maintained safety measures.
The Shohokuen factory operates according to official ISO 22000 regulations, a system developed by the International Organization of Standardization that ensures best food safety practices according to a worldwide standard for the food industry. Within our company, there is a “food safety team” dedicated explicitly to the safety of all of our products.
Tea manufacture begins in the fields, and Shohokuen understands that the finished product is only ever going to be as good as the raw materials. That is why we make great efforts to enhance communication among all members involved in the tea manufacturing process, from the farms that grow our tea, all the way to the boardroom. We also keep in close touch with JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives Group), to make sure our standards and practices are up to date and further insure the quality and safety of the leaves we use. Every year we send one of our trained professionals to conduct seminars on safe-tea-growing practices to every place our leaves are cultivated.
At Shohokuen, we only use tea leaves grown according to strict ordinances that regulate the use of fertilizer and pesticides. These ordinances are confirmed by exacting records that ensure there is no pesticide residue on any of our products.
