Thursday, October 3 — G Class: Tea Pan-Frying Experience at Miyazaki Sabou🍵

Today, third graders from four elementary schools across Gokase Town gathered at Miyazaki Sabou for a G class✍️💡…so I was able to observe their visit👀✨

We had considered skipping the tea-picking experience because of light rain, but the kids’ energy cleared the sky enough for a short session, so we did a little picking👏👏👏

Chanting “one bud, two leaves!” everyone happily hand-picked tea leaves🌿

After that, the group split into three teams to do 1) a factory tour, 2) a pan-frying experience, and 3) a tasting session✍️✨

1) The factory was full of first-time sights! Different tea aromas drifted through the air, and just watching the tour felt soothing🤤💕

When told that a single tea leaf can become green tea, oolong tea, or black tea, the kids gasped “Whaaaat!?” with perfect reactions😳💮💮💮 lol

2) The pan-frying experience stemmed from what they heard on the tour: machines roast leaves at 200–300°C, so the kids nervously asked, “Is it hot!?”🤣 But trying it turned out to be fun🤩

They watched, fascinated, as the leaves dried and released a pleasant aroma, commenting “I like this smell!” and “But it’s tiring~💦” while learning the pan-fried tea production process😊

3) They learned about types of tea utensils and how to use them, the ideal water temperature for brewing, and other tips for making tasty tea, then each brewed and tasted pan-fried tea themselves🍵✨

One child said it smelled like corn soup, which surprised me, but apparently pan-fried tea is often said to have a corn-like flavor😮💡 The children’s sensitivities never cease to amaze me👏

They compared four teas by taste and tried to identify which was pan-fried tea, oolong, hojicha, or black tea. Many struggled, confused by the familiar colors and aromas🤣

Did you know? Taiwanese and Gokase oolong teas are closer in color to green tea rather than brown😏✏️

At the end, during the Q&A, the children asked sharp questions to the producers and summarized what they had learned✍️💫

The kids experienced the full charm of Gokase’s pan-fried tea and felt the producers’ passion😌 I hope they take pride in this local specialty and help weave the future of Gokase Town✨