What is Shizu-7132 Cultivar?

What is Shizu-7132 Cultivar?

If you need something aromatic, Shizu-7132 should be your choice. One of the widely cultivated organic Japanese teas is Shizu-7132, and people love the perfect balance of sweetness and the aromatic fragrance of this cultivar. However, there are a lot of facts about Shizu-7132 that you should know about. Keep reading, and you’ll see how much you were missing out.

What is Shizu-7132?

The name of Shizu-7132 is quite technical because it is an unregistered organic Japanese tea cultivar. People usually recognize this cultivar because of its unique and aromatic fragrance (Please see what Shizu-7132 tastes like? to know more about its fragrance). Shizu-7132 is named after the place of its cultivation, Shizuoka prefecture.

History of Shizu-7132 Cultivar

Since the early 1960s, the farmers have been developing a wide range of cultivars in Shizuoka prefecture, utilizing Yabukita as the mother plant. All the cultivars developed from this mother plant have been given serial number 7000.

We know the mother plant from which this aromatic cultivar is extracted, but the father plant is still unknown. However, some researchers say that the father plant was a foreign cultivar that was mainly used for the production of black tea. Such cultivars were also found in Shizuoka prefecture in large quantities. Yet, there isn’t any solid evidence present for this speculation.

There were two main reasons for cultivating Shizu-7132 at that time. Firstly, it was quite easy to cultivate and process. So, the farmers used to cultivate this cultivar in large quantities—secondly, the taste and aroma of its cultivar.

At first, the farmers didn’t notice the aroma of this cultivar for quite some time. But then, just like a miracle, a tea farmer in Shimizu ward finally noticed its aroma and began cultivating this tea in full swing and started selling this cultivar under the brand name Machiko. Since then, its production has been sky-high.

This unregistered cultivar got a lot of names in the past. For instance, when a tea farmer discovered that this cultivar is strongly resistant to frost, he gave it the name of shimo shirazu, which literally means unaffected by frost. In another case, a tea picker felt bad for this cultivar as it didn’t have any name, so she gave it hers.

But, after a long debate, this tea cultivar was given the name Shizu-7132 because of its serial number and place of production.

Characteristics of Shizu-7132 Cultivar

Shizu-7132 provides a great yield at the time of harvest, which is one of the main reasons behind its large-scale cultivation. Another reason was the aroma of this cultivar. Now, all the cultivars extracted from Yabukita contain a compound known as coumarin that is responsible for the aroma of the cultivars. Shizu-7132 contains the highest concentration of this compound, and that’s why it has the capacity of filling the entire room with its aromatic fragrance.

Talking about the stems of the cultivar, they are quite thick, which makes it difficult to lend them during the rolling process. When the buds are young, they acquire a lustrous dark red color, but once they mature, they acquire a bright green color.

Anthracnose can be quite fatal to plants. It causes various fungal diseases that can develop dark lesions on the leaves of the plant. One of the best characteristics of Shizu-7132 is that it is highly resistant to anthracnose. In this way, its stems and twigs remain safe from all kinds of lesions during all seasons. Other than this, it is also strongly resistant to all other kinds of pests and diseases, along with frost.

What does Shizu-7132 taste like?

Suffice it to say, spring can’t be represented better than the aroma of Shizu-7132.

Shizu-7132 has a very distinct and natural sweet cherry blossom aroma that is also known as Sakura Kaori. This is because its aroma is similar to Sakura flowers. As mentioned earlier, it contains the highest concentration of coumarin, and this compound is mostly found in the cherry trees of Japan.

To make the most out of its aroma, Shizu-7132 is steamed lightly, which makes its liquor medium thick. This liquor then develops subtle umami and artichoke taste with light notes of floral flavor. These floral notes are the attributes of lower astringency content.

So, if you want a floral aroma penetrating all around your place, Shizu-7132 is the best organic Japanese tea to go with.

Conclusion

Shizu-7132 is an organic Japanese tea cultivar that is renowned for its cherry blossom aroma and umami taste. Its large-scale production is proof of that. Today, it is not only being cultivated in the Shizuoka Prefecture but also all around Japan. It is one of the highest quality teas, and one can’t just get enough of it. Thus, Shizu-7132 can prove to be a great addition to your tea collection.

Shizu-7132 — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Shizu-7132 cultivar? Why does Shizu-7132 smell like cherry blossoms? Why is Shizu-7132 not officially registered? What are the characteristics of Shizu-7132? What cultivars come from Shizu-7132?

What is the Shizu-7132 cultivar?

Shizu-7132 is an unregistered Japanese tea cultivar named after its place of cultivation (Shizuoka Prefecture) and its serial number. It is best known for an unusually intense, sweet, cherry-blossom-like aroma — sometimes called "Sakura Kaori." The cultivar developed from Yabukita as the mother plant, with an unknown father plant (likely a foreign black tea cultivar). Despite never being formally registered, Shizu-7132 is cultivated at scale in Shizuoka thanks to its high yield, strong frost resistance, and distinctive fragrance.

Yabukita Tea Cultivar (やぶきた)

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What is Tsuyuhikari (御前崎茶-つゆひかり) cultivar?

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Why does Shizu-7132 smell like cherry blossoms?

All cultivars derived from Yabukita contain coumarin, a compound responsible for sweet floral aromas. Shizu-7132 has the highest concentration of coumarin among Yabukita's descendants, which is why a single freshly opened bag can fill a room with its scent. The aroma is so distinctly cherry-blossom-like that it has earned the name "Sakura Kaori" ("cherry blossom fragrance"). The fragrance is most pronounced in young Spring leaves and gradually softens through subsequent harvests.

Why is Shizu-7132 not officially registered?

Shizu-7132 was developed in the early 1960s as part of a series of Yabukita-derived cultivars labeled with the serial number 7000. Although it produces a distinctive, fragrant tea, it never went through the formal registration process. The fragrance was actually overlooked for years until a tea farmer in Shimizu ward noticed it and began cultivating Shizu-7132 in earnest, selling it under the brand name "Machiko." The cultivar has accumulated several informal names over the decades — including "shimo shirazu" ("frost-unaffected") — but Shizu-7132 remained the lasting label.

What are the characteristics of Shizu-7132?

Shizu-7132 produces high yields at harvest, which is one of the reasons it has spread across Shizuoka despite never being formally registered. The buds are a lustrous dark red when young and turn bright green at maturity. The stems are unusually thick, which makes the rolling step in processing more demanding. The cultivar is strongly resistant to anthracnose — a fungal disease that produces dark lesions on tea leaves — and is also frost-resistant. These hardy traits allow it to be grown in fields where less resilient cultivars would fail.

What cultivars come from Shizu-7132?

Shizu-7132 was used as one of the parent plants for Tsuyuhikari, a high-quality cultivar developed in 1970 at the Tea Research Institute of Shizuoka through a cross between Shizu-7132 and Asatsuyu. Tsuyuhikari was registered in 2003 under Japan's Seed and Seedling Law and is now grown across Shizuoka and other regions. Through Tsuyuhikari, Shizu-7132's traits — particularly its sweet aroma and disease resistance — continue to inform modern Japanese cultivar development.

What is Tsuyuhikari (御前崎茶-つゆひかり) cultivar?

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