Official what GREEN are you currently drinking?

[Pig Hog]

Cold mugicha, you say?

[img]http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09 ... a369fe.jpg[/img]

It's best cold.

[daidokorocha]

It is best cold, isn't it? I bust out my soup bowls to drink it. Is it official that this is what you had at the restaurant?

[Pig Hog]

98% sure. Probably just a different brand, of course.

[Pig Hog]

[img]http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09 ... 985cdf.jpg[/img]

[daidokorocha]

I think Pokka may be about the only canned/bottled green tea brand I've never tried. How is it?

[Pig Hog]

Ehm. Pretty similar to the others, in my limited experience! I think I've had suntory and itoen. Can't remember what else I may have had in Japan but I never noticed all that much difference!

[daidokorocha]

Ehm. Pretty similar to the others, in my limited experience! I think I've had suntory and itoen. Can't remember what else I may have had in Japan but I never noticed all that much difference!

What!? The difference between a Suntory Iyemon and an Ito En Oi Ocha is as large as the Pacific! They fill the gap in my heart from here to Japan. Don't even get me started on Ayataka. My fiancee swears by the Iyemon and always complains that she can typically only find Ito En when we're here in the States. Very rarely will someone have the Iyemon imported... so I've now taken to buying branded loose leaf and powder they sell to make it myself. A very famous teahouse in Kyoto supplies the leaves for the Iyemon. I should try a variety of their selection one day. If you take a journey on ANA they have unlimited Iyemon, which only heightens the anticipation. Did you happen to get a chance to try the Shincha bags ito en was attaching to its oi ocha brand this spring? I kick myself for not buying more, considering I bought a fair amount of Oi Ocha as it is, just not in the special bottle that came with the Shincha. MY MISTAKE!

[Pig Hog]

I'll have to pay more attention it seems...if I can get hold of a few brands, I'll try a tasting session!

Must have missed the shincha bags - I don't remember seeing any.

I've just picked up some yamamotoyama sencha and konacha tea bags from the Japan Centre, to use at work.

The only green tea supplied is twinings, so I wanted something that can handle hot water well and be made in about 12oz paper cups. We'll see how it goes...

Oh, also, Daidokorocha, how do you make cold mugicha? Do you brew it in cold water or do you brew it hot and cool it after?

[debunix]

Another gyokuro morning....mmmm....brewed up on a smaller scale again, in Shawn McGuire's little celadon shiboridashi, after the inspiration from another topic. Tasty and lovely, as always.

[Pig Hog]

Last of the karigane genmaicha with daifuku:

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09 ... 12c634.jpg

[debunix]

(image too large to display, so we can't share the view)

[daidokorocha]

I'll have to pay more attention it seems...if I can get hold of a few brands, I'll try a tasting session!

Must have missed the shincha bags - I don't remember seeing any.

I've just picked up some yamamotoyama sencha and konacha tea bags from the Japan Centre, to use at work.

The only green tea supplied is twinings, so I wanted something that can handle hot water well and be made in about 12oz paper cups. We'll see how it goes...

Oh, also, Daidokorocha, how do you make cold mugicha? Do you brew it in cold water or do you brew it hot and cool it after?

Those shincha bags stood up surprisingly well to elevated temperatures, which is part of the reason I'm kicking myself so much. Tell me how the those bags work out for you. I think I've seen those sencha bags around. The Konacha should go down well, at the very least.

As for the cold mugicha, I just drop a large bag (I can go weigh for an idea of how much I use) into a liter or a liter and a half of cold water and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge. It can be done as in little as an hour or two, depending on the strength you want. Sometimes I do make it in a large pan on the stove though and then cool it down. Different flavor profiles, but I generally go with the first method out of sheer convenience and it is always delicious.

If you ever get the chance, you should just boil a large pot of water and throw a load of houjicha leaves in it and boil it for awhile and then leave it to cool and fridge it and pour it over ice. This is very good as well. I do believe I actually saw this method being advertised on one of the vendors that is popular around here as well. Ah, found it! Labelled under "Traditional Farmer's Recipe" underneath houjicha section.

http://www.hibiki-an.com/contents.php/cnID/6

Finally, your picture makes me want sweets. I can't resist daifuku, manjuu, and the lot.

[daidokorocha]

Another gyokuro morning....mmmm....brewed up on a smaller scale again, in Shawn McGuire's little celadon shiboridashi, after the inspiration from another topic. Tasty and lovely, as always.

Ee, I got gyokuro candies in order to satiate my cravings for when I'm away from my tea! What is your method for brewing on a small scale, debunix? Is it different from the typical?

[debunix]

I don't do anything that unusual--as I've written in this topic recently, I've been enjoying this one with water temps starting about 160°F a couple of times, then upping to 170, 180, 190, 205 by the end. I end up with the shibo looking about 1/2 full after the leaf is fully wetted, whether in the small or medium sized version. Haven't been weighing leaf or counting time much, except the first 30 second infusion, so can't give more precise suggestions than that.

[Pig Hog]

(image too large to display, so we can't share the view)

Try just the link now...?

If you ever get the chance, you should just boil a large pot of water and throw a load of houjicha leaves in it and boil it for awhile and then leave it to cool and fridge it and pour it over ice. This is very good as well. I do believe I actually saw this method being advertised on one of the vendors that is popular around here as well. Ah, found it! Labelled under "Traditional Farmer's Recipe" underneath houjicha section.

http://www.hibiki-an.com/contents.php/cnID/6

I have tried that and found it quite good. If drunk hot, though, I still prefer the flavour of kyūsu brewed tea. I've made kyobancha in the same way, too.

In fact, I generally follow hibiki-an's guidelines for iced teas and they work well.