Value Pack Guricha Green Tea Bags

Tea Bag Filter Material

Biodegradable Filter — Free from Petroleum-Based Plastic

A biodegradable food-contact material made from plant-derived PLA (polylactic acid).Biomass-Based / Carbon-Neutral / Sustainable

• Made entirely from plant-derived biomass materials, the filter can help support carbon neutrality even when disposed of by incineration.
• Under suitable composting conditions, the material can biodegrade into water and carbon dioxide.
• The filter is made from plant-derived, biodegradable PLA, making it a more sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics.
• PLA is a biodegradable bioplastic that can be composted under appropriate conditions, such as in an industrial composting facility.

Tea Bag Styles

Ideal for Reusable Bottles and Teapots

With no string to get caught under the lid, the tea bag can be placed directly into a reusable bottle or teapot. Simply add hot or cold water and let it brew. It is easy to use both at home and on the go.

Enjoy It Hot or Cold

Hot Brew: A rich aroma and full-bodied flavor
Cold Brew: A smooth, refreshing taste with less astringency
Adjustable Strength: Steep it longer or shorter to suit your preference

With String

Ideal for Reusable Bottles and Mugs

A convenient tea bag for use in mugs, bottles, and teapots. The attached string makes it easy to remove, even when you are away from home.
Its three-dimensional shape gives the tea leaves plenty of room to circulate, allowing their authentic flavor and aroma to fully develop.
 

Enjoy It Hot or Cold

Hot Brew: A rich aroma and full-bodied flavor
Cold Brew: A smooth, refreshing taste with less astringency
Adjustable Strength: Steep it longer or shorter to suit your preference

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The History of Tamaryokucha and the Story of Guricha no Sugiyama

Japan’s Mellow Green Tea, Born for Export — and the Blending Craft Perfected by Sugiyama

Guricha is a distinctive Japanese green tea known for its gently curled leaves and smooth, mellow flavor.
Its origins date back to the late Taisho and early Showa periods, when Japanese tea exports were at their height.
At Guricha no Sugiyama, we use steamed tamaryokucha as the foundation of our teas and create original blends using carefully selected leaves from tea-growing regions throughout Japan.
By combining regional tea cultivars grown both under shade and in open fields, and finishing them primarily through a deep-steaming process, we create a flavor found nowhere else.
 

1. Tamaryokucha: A Tea Originally Developed for Export From the 1920s**

The creation of tamaryokucha, particularly steamed tamaryokucha, was the result of international trade conditions and challenges facing the Japanese tea industry in the late Taisho period.
At the time, pan-fired Chinese green tea was widely consumed in Russian Central Asia. To expand Japanese tea exports into the region, producers needed to develop a tea whose shape and flavor suited local preferences.
Market research indicated a demand for green tea leaves that had been thoroughly rolled and tightly curled. Samples of Chinese pan-fired tea were therefore brought to Japan for study.
In Shizuoka, however, the production of pan-fired tea had been prohibited in 1893. This measure had been introduced to address problems involving adulterated and poor-quality tea during the Meiji period, including tea mixed with willow leaves or hijiki seaweed and tea that had been insufficiently dried.
Although pan-fired tea was already being produced in Kyushu, it could not simply be reproduced for export in Shizuoka. Producers therefore needed to create a new type of tea that had the appearance of Chinese pan-fired tea while still using Japan’s traditional steaming method.
Shizuoka tea producers consequently developed guricha, or steamed tamaryokucha, by recreating the curled appearance of Chinese pan-fired tea through a Japanese steaming process.
By omitting the final fine-rolling stage used in conventional sencha production, the leaves developed a rounded, comma-like shape. This new tea also had less astringency and a noticeably smoother, mellower flavor.
The tea was quickly accepted in the Russian market. It later expanded into North Africa, the Middle East, North America, and other regions where Chinese green tea had traditionally been consumed.
Tamaryokucha was therefore not simply the result of a new manufacturing technique. It emerged from a unique combination of factors, including:

• Changes in international trade

• Tea-production regulations within Japan

• The preferences of overseas consumers

These circumstances make tamaryokucha a particularly distinctive tea in the history of Japanese tea production.
 

2. The Transition to the Domestic Market From the 1960s**

After World War II, Japanese tamaryokucha entered another golden age of exports.
During the early 1950s, tamaryokucha exported to North Africa ranked first in value among Japanese tea exports. In fiscal year 1952, Japan exported approximately 10,000 metric tons of tea, with tamaryokucha accounting for around two-thirds of the total.
The Japanese tea export industry even established a directly operated store in Casablanca, Morocco. Tea was shipped mainly to markets such as Morocco, Algeria, and Libya in different leaf-shape grades, including Gunpowder and Chunmee styles.
During the 1960s, however, market conditions began to change.

• Domestic demand increased as Japan entered a period of rapid economic growth.

• Consumer preferences in export markets changed, while local production expanded.

• International price competition became increasingly intense.

At around the same time, major changes also took place in the regions where tamaryokucha was produced.
From the late 1960s onward, the use of the deep-steaming method became more widespread.
By steaming the leaves for longer than usual, this method softens the tea leaves and produces more fine leaf particles. The resulting tea has a deeper green color, reduced astringency, and a smooth, mellow flavor.
These characteristics were well received in the Japanese domestic market, particularly among consumers in Shizuoka and the greater Tokyo region, helping accelerate tamaryokucha’s transition from an export product to a tea enjoyed within Japan.
Once primarily produced for overseas markets, tamaryokucha gradually evolved into a regional Japanese specialty from the 1960s onward. It later became closely associated with areas such as Izu and Kyushu and developed into a popular regional gift and travel souvenir.
 

3. The Founding of Guricha no Sugiyama 1960**

Sugiyama Tea Factory was founded in 1960 in Ito City on the Izu Peninsula.
At the time, Ito Onsen was one of Japan’s leading tourist destinations, attracting large numbers of visitors from throughout the country.
Seeking to distinguish its products from other Shizuoka teas, Sugiyama selected guricha, with its origins as an export tea, as its principal brand.
The smooth, mellow flavor and rounded leaf shape of steamed tamaryokucha were presented as defining characteristics of the product. Guricha soon became popular as a distinctive regional souvenir from Izu.
 

4. Sugiyama’s Original Blending Craft

Rather than growing tea leaves ourselves, Guricha no Sugiyama carefully selects high-quality guricha from the tea-producing regions of Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and Miyazaki.
We use a diverse range of cultivars, including Yabukita, Saemidori, and Yutakamidori, grown both under shade and in open fields. These teas are processed using the deep-steaming method and blended according to our own formulations, refined through many years of experience and skilled craftsmanship.
By drawing out the unique qualities of each growing region while carefully balancing umami, aroma, and color, we create the distinctive flavor known as Sugiyama’s Guricha.
 

What Is Guricha?

Guricha, officially known as steamed tamaryokucha, is a type of Japanese green tea distinguished by its gently curled leaves.

 

How Guricha Is Made

1. Steaming: Freshly harvested tea leaves are steamed to stop oxidation and preserve their vibrant green color.

2. Primary Rolling and Drying: The leaves are loosened and gently rolled to distribute moisture evenly.

3. Secondary Rolling and Drying: More moisture is removed while the leaves gradually take shape.

4. Final Drying: Unlike sencha, the leaves do not undergo the final fine-rolling process that shapes them into thin needles. Instead, they are dried with their naturally curled form intact.

This distinctive production method gives guricha a smoother, mellower flavor with less astringency than conventional sencha.
 

Flavor Profile

• Smooth and mellow, with less astringency

• Rich in natural umami and sweetness

• When deep-steamed, the tea develops greater body and a beautifully deep green infusion.

Guricha is known for its soft, rounded umami that gently spreads across the palate and its clean, pleasant finish.
 

What Makes Sugiyama’s Guricha Unique

At Guricha no Sugiyama, we bring out the full character of guricha through careful selection and expert blending.

• Carefully Selected Origins: We select tea leaves from Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and Miyazaki.

• A Variety of Cultivars: We combine cultivars such as Yabukita, Saemidori, and Yutakamidori.

• Deep-Steaming: This process creates a rich green infusion and a smooth, mellow mouthfeel.

• Our Original Blending Craft: Our tea artisans assess the distinctive qualities of each origin and cultivar to achieve the ideal balance of aroma, umami, and color.

The result is Sugiyama’s Guricha—a deeply flavorful and aromatic green tea with a smooth taste and minimal astringency.