For several weeks in early spring, farmers in the Uji district, traditional center of the Japanese tea industry, gather the first flush of new buds and leaves for processing into Sencha, the highest grade of Japanese tea for export. The bud and top two leaves are cut at the peak of flavor and quickly pan-fired to halt oxidation of the precious polyphenols. Next the buds and leaves are rolled into tight curls, slowly dried,and immediately packed to seal in the fresh taste and aroma. In order to insure the richest, most authentic green tea flavor, HAIKU® teabags are always two full grams of 100% Japanese Organic Sencha Tea, the finest quality in the world. True connoisseurs of Japanese green tea will drink nothing else.