The brand honours Saicho, a 9th century Japanese Buddhist monk who travelled to China to study with Tiantai priests. When he returned to Japan in 805, he brought not only Buddhist teachings but also tea seeds, planting the first tea trees in Japan and defining a core part of tea culture.
This green tea is grown in the mountains of Fuding in Fujian province, China at an altitude of approximately 500 meters. The blossoms are laid on top of the tea leaves and as they dry and cool, the flowers open, releasing their fragrant scent onto the highly absorbent tea leaves. The flowers are then removed by hand in the morning. The tea is blended with new jasmine flowers over several nights until the aroma is perfectly balanced. Finally, the tea is dried to remove any moisture from the tea leaves. It has a delicate floral aroma and notes of apple sherbet, lychee, and vanilla, making it a refreshing apéritif.