Prefecture: Kochi 
Producer: Otoyo-cho Goishicha Cooperation
Ingredients: Yabukita (Japanese green tea), local mountain tea leaves (Caffeine)
Vegan, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free
Size: 6 x 1.5g tea bags

This goishicha is a rare type of fermented tea hand-crafted in Otoyo in Kochi Prefecture, a mountainous region on the southern coast of Shikoku Island. The tea leaves are steamed for almost three hours in wooden barrels, then fermented twice (first with mold and then with lactic acid bacteria) before being cut into squares and dried on straw mats for several days in the sun. The entire process takes nearly two months and results in a smooth, mellow tasting tea with reduced astringency and bitterness.

Koji Ogasawara is the seventh generation descendent of the founder of Otoyo-cho Goishicha Cooperation. He follows 400 year old methods to make his tea that would have been lost forever were it not for the last remaining farmer from the Ogasawara family who managed to pass the tradition down to his son.
 

How to prepare:Place one tea bag in a pot or cup and add boiling water. Steep for 1 min or until it reaches your desired strength.