Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Why these two get confused
Two Kyushu green teas often shelved together, one pan-fired and one steamed. Kamairicha is Japan’s exception to steaming and tastes accordingly nutty rather than marine.
Point by point
| Dimension | Kamairicha | Tamaryokucha |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Green tea · unoxidised | Green tea · unoxidised |
| Production | In order: Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. | In order: Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. |
| Origin | Japan — Miyazaki | Japan |
| Flavour | nutty, roasted and grassy. medium and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: toasted chestnut, warm grain, light grass. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. | fruity, vegetal, umami and citrus. medium and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: berry, steamed greens, citrus, cream. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 90s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 70–80 °C, first steep 60s. Kyusu brewing (Japanese style): 3–5 g/100 ml at 65–75 °C, first steep 60s of 3 authored. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. |
| Cultural context | Not recorded for this tea. | Two versions share the name: mushi-sei (steamed) and kamairi-sei (pan-fired). The pan-fired one is much scarcer and tastes markedly less marine. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.