In doubt, drink bothsilverneedles wrote:does organic fair trade wine have more antioxidants than organic fair trade green tea?
But only if you enjoy the taste.
Mar 1st, '08, 18:29
Posts: 544
Joined: Feb 27th, '08, 10:06
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: TX <- NY
Contact:
silverneedles
I am like you, and I enjoy drinking gyokuro as my main tea. I get my gyokuro from Teavana and love it, but I can understand not wanting to pay $15 for about a weeks worth of tea. Adagio's gyokuro is pretty decent for the bargain it is.
EDIT: I typically find that the local tap water makes for an unpleasant tea, and good bottled water is expensive. A Brita filtered pitcher works wonderfully to take the harshness of the central Texas water, but leaves plenty of taste. I think I am using too much if the tea needs to seep 2-3 min at 180F. I like to pour my tea a good 30 secs - 1 min. I either get a light gyokuro (30 secs) or a bit more aromatic green (1 min.)
Good gyokuro is hard to find, and is expensive.
EDIT: I typically find that the local tap water makes for an unpleasant tea, and good bottled water is expensive. A Brita filtered pitcher works wonderfully to take the harshness of the central Texas water, but leaves plenty of taste. I think I am using too much if the tea needs to seep 2-3 min at 180F. I like to pour my tea a good 30 secs - 1 min. I either get a light gyokuro (30 secs) or a bit more aromatic green (1 min.)
Good gyokuro is hard to find, and is expensive.
Here are some updates:
I ordered a couple of weeks ago:
1) O-cha.com (from Olivierco's recommendation):
http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/gyokuro-kamegirushi.html ... $56.00 /100g
2) Also from the same supplier:
http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/uji-gyokuro-yume.html ... $65.00 /100g
Shipping is about $11.00 for both to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
3) Hibiki-an:
http://www.hibiki-an.com/product_info.p ... cts_id/388
$22.00/40g which is equivalent to ... $55.00 /100g
Shipping is Free.
4) Maiko:
http://ww.maiko.ne.jp/english/shopping/ ... yokuro.htm
Takumi type which is ... $85.47 /100g
Shipping is about $20.00
Ocha has the fatest delivery. For packaging Maiko is the best (Tea is in a re-sealable bag and stored in a very nice wooden box)
I did a "blind" tasting test with the help of a friend using spring water at 55 degree C and a set of wine class so that color and impurity can be observed. My standard Gyokuro tea is still the Shizuoka which cost only $19.00 /100g...
(http://www.shizuokatea.com/japanese-gre ... shino.html)...
This is only a "subjective" test result of a green tea lover:
The Maiko has the most "clear and clean" green color, Ocha's Kame-Giru-Shi is a close second followed by Ocha's Yume no Ukihasi. Hibiki-an's tea color is a bit more yellowish and more impurity. Shizuoka is the worst of the batch.
For the taste Maiko has a more "clean and fresh" sweet taste, and surprisingly Ocha's Kame-Giru-Shi is very close second and a bit "cleaner" than the more expensive Ocha's Yume no Ukihasi. Hibiki-an's is also very high in quality in the same league as Ocha's Yume no Ukihasi. Shizuoka exhibits a more "bitter" taste than most...
In summary Maiko is the best of these 5 teas but the taste to me very close to each other between them. Except when comparing to (my standard) Shizuoka we could tell the difference rather easy. For daily green tea drinking of Gyokuro I will still stay with the Shizuoka ($19.00/ 100g is an excellent value considering Costco sells a Sencha green tea under the name of "Kirkland Signature Japanese Green Tea" for $12.98 per 150g plus tax... It works out about $9.00 to $10.00 per 100g)
Cheers,
B.V.Heaven
I ordered a couple of weeks ago:
1) O-cha.com (from Olivierco's recommendation):
http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/gyokuro-kamegirushi.html ... $56.00 /100g
2) Also from the same supplier:
http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/uji-gyokuro-yume.html ... $65.00 /100g
Shipping is about $11.00 for both to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
3) Hibiki-an:
http://www.hibiki-an.com/product_info.p ... cts_id/388
$22.00/40g which is equivalent to ... $55.00 /100g
Shipping is Free.
4) Maiko:
http://ww.maiko.ne.jp/english/shopping/ ... yokuro.htm
Takumi type which is ... $85.47 /100g
Shipping is about $20.00
Ocha has the fatest delivery. For packaging Maiko is the best (Tea is in a re-sealable bag and stored in a very nice wooden box)
I did a "blind" tasting test with the help of a friend using spring water at 55 degree C and a set of wine class so that color and impurity can be observed. My standard Gyokuro tea is still the Shizuoka which cost only $19.00 /100g...
(http://www.shizuokatea.com/japanese-gre ... shino.html)...
This is only a "subjective" test result of a green tea lover:
The Maiko has the most "clear and clean" green color, Ocha's Kame-Giru-Shi is a close second followed by Ocha's Yume no Ukihasi. Hibiki-an's tea color is a bit more yellowish and more impurity. Shizuoka is the worst of the batch.
For the taste Maiko has a more "clean and fresh" sweet taste, and surprisingly Ocha's Kame-Giru-Shi is very close second and a bit "cleaner" than the more expensive Ocha's Yume no Ukihasi. Hibiki-an's is also very high in quality in the same league as Ocha's Yume no Ukihasi. Shizuoka exhibits a more "bitter" taste than most...
In summary Maiko is the best of these 5 teas but the taste to me very close to each other between them. Except when comparing to (my standard) Shizuoka we could tell the difference rather easy. For daily green tea drinking of Gyokuro I will still stay with the Shizuoka ($19.00/ 100g is an excellent value considering Costco sells a Sencha green tea under the name of "Kirkland Signature Japanese Green Tea" for $12.98 per 150g plus tax... It works out about $9.00 to $10.00 per 100g)
Cheers,
B.V.Heaven
