100 Famous Teas is the contest in Shizuoka prefecture. It is not a competition to find the best tea, but the contest of individuality. The main criteria for the tea to be selected as one on 100 Famous Tea is to be unique, and the selected teas get the right to use the special label on their packaging.
The meaning behind the contest, is to encourage the production of distinctive tea in the mountainous areas of Shizuoka, taking advantage of the weather and soil conditions, as well as various production methods.
The contest started in 2010 and in 2021, it was the first time to hold it online. Two of our founders Simona and Matsu, were invited to be the judges of the contest.
The teas submitted for the contest, were divided into 4 groups and with the provided instructions the judges were tasting and evaluating the teas remotely. Among the submitted teas there were some more common Japanese green teas like Sencha, Kabusecha, Kamairicha. Hojicha, etc. But there were also a good number of oolongs, black teas and post-fermented teas.
For the full list of the selected teas (announced at the end of October) check on 100 Famous Teas Contest website.
*Image Source: 100 Famous Teas Contest