Japanese Benifuuki Naturally Grown Black Loose Leaf Tea Exceptionally Rare and Sought After

Well, here is something you are not likely to come across, a black tea from Japan. Coming from the Miyazaki Prefecture this whole leaf tea is made from the Benifuuki cultivar. This cultivar is a result of crossing the Benihomare variety of Camellia sinensis ‘Assamica’ (The first registered Japanese tea variety) with Camellia sinensis ‘Makura Cd86’, which originally came from the Darjeeling region of India.  This hybrid was made in Kagoshima Prefecture and registered in 1993. The Benifuuki tea plant has been accredited with astonishing health-giving properties, not least of all the ability to work against allergies especially hay-fever and eczema. I used 90^o water rather than boiling water and steeped for one and a half minutes, on the first infusion and a couple of minutes on the second. Rich flavour, quite floral and mellow.