CRAFT
Pick, steam, roll, steep.
Four verbs between the field and your cup.
摘 / Pick
Leaves are picked at dawn while the mist still holds.
First flush only, before the sun reaches the rows.
蒸 / Steam
Steamed within hours to stop time.
Thirty seconds of steam keeps the leaf green and sweet.
揉 / Roll
Rolled slowly by patient hands.
The roll shapes the needle and wakes the aroma.
淹 / Steep
Then steeped low and slow.
The last pour carries the deepest taste.
A cup is a small ceremony.
ASAGIRI refuses to hurry: water held just under a boil, leaves given room to open, and the quiet decision to wait before the first sip.
THE GROWER / 作り手
Matsune Aiko, third generation
The rows her grandfather planted still face the morning fog.
工