Goishicha
A rare twice-fermented tea from Kochi prefecture, put through both a mould fermentation and a lactic-acid fermentation under weight before being cut into squares and sun-dried. It is one of very few genuinely fermented teas made outside China.
Character
Genuinely sour rather than earthy, which is what the lactic fermentation does and what separates it from Chinese dark tea entirely.
- Flavour
- Fruity, Earthy
- Aroma
- Fresh
- Mouthfeel
- Light, Smooth
- Complexity
- Moderate
- Notes
- sour plum, hay, fermented grain
- Aftertaste
- Distinctly sour and clean.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- Japan
- Oxidation
- Not applicable
- Post-fermentation
- Microbial wet piling
- Harvest
- Summer
- Processing
- Steaming (Japanese fixation) → Wet piling (wo dui) → Compression → Sun-drying (shai qing)
History
A twice-fermented tea from Kochi that came close to disappearing in the twentieth century, sustained by a handful of producers. It is one of very few genuinely fermented teas outside China and its survival was not assured.
Brewing
Boiling and decoction
0.5–1.5 g/100 ml · 95–100 °C · 1 authored infusion
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 95–100 °C · 1 authored infusion
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Shou pu-erh (ripe)
Both described as fermented tea and produced by entirely different mechanisms — lactic acid in one case, mixed microbial piling in the other.
- Miang
Two fermented tea traditions outside China, one eaten and one drunk. Both are lactic-fermented and neither resembles Chinese dark tea.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Afternoon blend
Shares 4 descriptors with Goishicha: fruity, light, smooth and fresh.
- Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle)
Shares 4 descriptors with Goishicha: fruity, light, smooth and fresh.
- Fuding Silver Needle
Shares 4 descriptors with Goishicha: fruity, light, smooth and fresh.
- Aged white tea cake
Shares 3 descriptors with Goishicha: fruity, earthy and smooth.
- Anji Bai Cha
Shares 3 descriptors with Goishicha: light, smooth and fresh.
- Anji Bai Cha supreme
Shares 3 descriptors with Goishicha: light, smooth and fresh.