Why Japanese teas?

[TeashowTV]

Besides the traditionally 'fresh' Japanese teas, a la Shincha, there exists another level of complexity found in slightly aged shade-grown gyokuro, sometimes known as kuradashi-gyokuro. While you wouldn't normally think of JP teas as being considered 'sweet', consider trying some! Properly brewed, will blow you away.

[lkj23]

Besides the traditionally 'fresh' Japanese teas, a la Shincha, there exists another level of complexity found in slightly aged shade-grown gyokuro, sometimes known as kuradashi-gyokuro. While you wouldn't normally think of JP teas as being considered 'sweet', consider trying some! Properly brewed, will blow you away.

and what is the process to aged gyokuro, I think I read something about from brandon, but don´t remember. Is possible to do it with an gyokuro´s open bag? I have an open bag of ultimate gyo (my first gyokuro) and don´t like at this time

[sherubtse]

Maybe they lace it with highly addictive drugs ...

Hah! No maybe about it!

I am no sooner finished one bowl of strong fuka than I am thinking about (longing for) my next fix.

Best wishes,
sherubtse

[strickmr]

Maybe I've had bad experiences with Chinese greens, but the second I had a properly brewed cup of sencha, I fell in love. Only less than six months ago, I've already developed a small collection of Japanese teaware and have been taking local tea ceremony lessons.

My roommates think I'm a bit nuts...but that's why I have you guys!

[TeashowTV]

and what is the process to aged gyokuro, I think I read something about from brandon, but don´t remember. Is possible to do it with an gyokuro´s open bag? I have an open bag of ultimate gyo (my first gyokuro) and don´t like at this time

Well, they say that kuradashi gyokuro is aged in a granary, but really, the tea is typically kept at around room temp with humidity control in wooden crates. You'll probably find that your open gyokuro will just get stale over time.
More info from hibiki-an:

http://www.hibiki-an.com/readings/what% ... okuro.html

[joelbct]

Good stuff. Of course it is a matter of personal taste, eye of the beholder, etc...

There are China Greens like good Long Jing and Blacks like Yunnan and Keemun that I love, not to mention Oolongs, etc. Lots of variety. And perhaps in some ways the larger variety and different choices are more sophisticated than the relatively homogeneous Japanese Greens.

But Japanese tea is a world unto itself. I *need* Sencha every day, my body and tastebuds demand it, whereas though I love China tea as well, I don't crave China tea on a daily basis quite the same way.

Like people have mentioned, the steaming vs. pan-frying is a big part of it, plus the "terroir" of Japan's rich volcanic soil affects the leaf. Also, Japanese tea growers have developed distinct varietals or cultivars of C. sinensis, ie Kanaya Midori, Okumidori, etc, which distinguish them from mainland China tea plants. There is a Zen mindfulness/super-focus to the way Japanese tea and teaware artisans put so much into perfecting every aspect of what they produce.

A simpler answer to "why Japanese tea," is, order this Kagoshima Sencha, or this Matcha, or maybe some tea from Ippodo, follow the instructions, drink it, and then reflect...

[oak]

For me, basically because japanese tea are steamed while chinese teas that are pan fired. Two methods yield two very different teas.
Also some japanese teas are pan fired. Please have a look at here:

http://www.tokyofoundation.org/en/topic ... ired-tea-1

http://www.tokyofoundation.org/en/topic ... -fired-tea#

Very very interesting these articles. Now I understand the dirt of tea that I have bought, the samples of gyokuro...cut equal small sticks and with the same color.
This will serve me to buy better and to learn to treat the leaves of tea as alive beings, it is what I have just done with the pu erh, I have extracted it of the jars of crystal and they are wrapped in paper and guarded inside baskets of chestnut-tree, it seems to me that they were dying.

[oeroe]

¨ Also, Japanese tea growers have developed distinct varietals or cultivars of C. sinensis, ie Kanaya Midori, Okumidori, etc, which distinguish them from mainland China tea plants.

Of course they have different cultivars in China, too. Longjing varietal #43 is quite different from the classical Jiu Keng version, or of any other longjing varietals, for example. Just pointing out so there are no misunderstandings

A simpler answer to "why Japanese tea," is, order this Kagoshima Sencha, or this Matcha, or maybe some tea from Ippodo, follow the instructions, drink it, and then reflect...

Ah thank you, Itoen is a new vendor for me. Ippodo I am familiar with, their stuff is excellent in quality (although bit boring, they blend it to taste the same year after year)

It seems to be all going back to a matter of taste, and number of japanese tea threads producing more, and introducing more people here to japanese teas.

[gingkoseto]

I think personal taste is the dominant factor. And personal taste may be correlated with one's diet routine and body system too. Many Chinese people who've tasted Japanese green tea say it has a very odd "flavor of sea weed". But I believe in Japanese diet, sea weed flavor is a highly appreciated flavor. I also hear people saying some Chinese green tea has an unbearable "flavor of spinach soup". But spinach soup is one of my favorite

Besides, some people may think Chinese green is too light and therefore like Japanese green with more distinguishable flavor. On the other hand, some people may think Japanese green is harsh on stomach (due to its steam green processing) and therefore favor Chinese green.

[Tead Off]

I think personal taste is the dominant factor. And personal taste may be correlated with one's diet routine and body system too. Many Chinese people who've tasted Japanese green tea say it has a very odd "flavor of sea weed". But I believe in Japanese diet, sea weed flavor is a highly appreciated flavor. I also hear people saying some Chinese green tea has an unbearable "flavor of spinach soup". But spinach soup is one of my favorite

Besides, some people may think Chinese green is too light and therefore like Japanese green with more distinguishable flavor. On the other hand, some people may think Japanese green is harsh on stomach (due to its steam green processing) and therefore favor Chinese green.

Well said, Gingko. Most of our tastes and preferences, if not all of them, are based on our background and exposure, cultural life, etc. In other words, this is very subjective. Nothing to do with Zen, archery, or, bicycle riding.

[Chip]

I think personal taste is the dominant factor. And personal taste may be correlated with one's diet routine and body system too. Many Chinese people who've tasted Japanese green tea say it has a very odd "flavor of sea weed". But I believe in Japanese diet, sea weed flavor is a highly appreciated flavor. I also hear people saying some Chinese green tea has an unbearable "flavor of spinach soup". But spinach soup is one of my favorite

Besides, some people may think Chinese green is too light and therefore like Japanese green with more distinguishable flavor. On the other hand, some people may think Japanese green is harsh on stomach (due to its steam green processing) and therefore favor Chinese green.

Well said, Gingko. Most of our tastes and preferences, if not all of them, are based on our background and exposure, cultural life, etc. In other words, this is very subjective. Nothing to do with Zen, archery, or, bicycle riding.

Bicycle riders prefer sencha ...

Interesting concept that I will have to mull over ... and I wonder how this would apply to Westerners?!? If it does at all.

[Tead Off]

applies to every human being. We have a history full of experience and information. We make choices based on this data, nothing else. No mystery here. Enjoy the bike ride.

[Sam.]

Tead Off makes a good point. I think one of the main reasons I drink Japanese greens every day and rarely drink Chinese greens nowadays is because I prefer the much stronger, deeper green flavor. I've liked some Chinese greens in the past and I'm sure I'll drink more in the future. I choose Japanese greens simply because of taste.

[oak]

I am expecting for two green teas of China, Matcha and Dragoon Well Lung Ching, to see if there is luck, and they taste differently that I have Japanese, because I cannot take infusions green tea Japanese, desire enter me of being sick, only I can suck the dry grasses a bit as if they were candies, So I still have a good flavor at the end.

[oak]

I cannot take infusions green tea Japanese, desire enter me of being sick, only I can suck the dry grasses a bit as if they were candies, So I still have a good flavor at the end.

Now I understand why the gyokuro that I take it give me desire of being sick. I have been reading how the gyokuro is prepared in the following page:

http://zencha.net/brewing.php#bottom

I was preparing it badly, so I was not supporting it.

I have prepared it like in the page, incredibly with 30 cc of water and it tasted me exactly like if it was dissolving it in the mouth as if it was a candy.

Thank you very much to the persons understood with the tea.