Shizukaori 1-Year Aged Wakoucha

The Story

Wakoucha, or Japanese red tea, is an oxidized tea similar to black tea, but it has its own character. It is typically more floral, gentler, with earthy notes of the forest.

This tea is from Shizuoka Prefecture, a place with a long history as an important tea growing region in Japan, going back to the very beginning of the Edo period, when it's said that the shogun Tokugawa favored the tea there.

Yuko-san is the 19th-generation tea grower in her family, whose roots trace back to the very beginnings of tea cultivation in Japan. Her passion for crafting Wakoucha is tremendous. She also works alongside her father to produce traditional Sencha and Hojicha — both of which we’re honored to carry. Here’s the link:

This Wakoucha is made from Shizukaori, a fragrant regional cultivar in Shizuoka - a cross of Okuhikari and Kuritawase cultivars. The name Shizukaori (しずかおり) can be interpreted as: "Shizu" (静) – calm, quiet, serene "Kaori" (香) – fragrance or aroma. So Shizukaori roughly means: "Serene Fragrance" or "Quiet Aroma."

It has a bright, lively character with a spicy aroma reminiscent of ginger — a cheerful and uplifting black tea, with very little bitterness or astringency.

After being carefully aged for a year, its fragrance deepens — soft floral notes like fresh roses take on a mellow, honeyed warmth, evoking the scent of sunlit petals and dried fruit. We were so moved by its elegant character, it quickly became one of our favorites at Chaba.

When combined with the refreshing sweetness of fruit, its pure flavor becomes even more pronounced. Paired with homemade lemon meringue pie, it was a perfect match with the pie’s sweet and tangy flavors.