Houshun Tea Cultivar

Houshun is a Kyoto-bred tea cultivar selected from naturally crossed Samidori seedlings. Registered in 2006, it was developed for covered tea and is suitable for producing gyokuro and tencha used for matcha. Finished Houshun tea is associated with refreshing aroma, mellow taste, rich umami, and low bitterness under premium shaded cultivation and processing.

Houshun was developed for covered tea and is suitable for gyokuro as well as tencha used in matcha production. Its intended use aligns with its sensory profile when cultivated and processed for premium shaded tea: a refreshing aroma, mellow taste, rich umami, and low bitterness. It is therefore associated with both gyokuro and matcha production.

Houshun tea is associated with a mellow taste, rich umami, and low bitterness when cultivated and processed as premium shaded tea. It also offers a refreshing aroma. These qualities support its use for covered tea, including gyokuro and tencha destined for matcha production, which were central purposes in the cultivar’s development.

Houshun is an early-budding cultivar that produces relatively large, soft leaves. It was bred in Kyoto from naturally crossed Samidori seedlings for covered tea production. Those growth characteristics accompany its suitability for gyokuro and tencha, while finished premium shaded tea is associated with mellow flavor, rich umami, refreshing aroma, and low bitterness.

Houshun originated through Kyoto breeding and was selected from naturally crossed seedlings of the Samidori cultivar. It was registered in 2006 and developed specifically for covered tea. Its provenance connects it with gyokuro and tencha for matcha, while its finished tea profile includes refreshing aroma, mellow taste, rich umami, and low bitterness.