quick sencha question

[ErikaM]

My Sencha Yutaka Midori from O-Cha came today and these leaves are tiny... like gyokuro tiny, with lots of little bits like in gyokuro. Is that typical for this sencha, or is that a result of shipping/settling?

It's not important either way, the leaves smell like... well, "WOW!!!" is the word that comes to mind. I can't wait to try it. The question is just for my own education. My only other sencha experience is Adagio's sencha premier, and those leaves look totally different. Is there a spectrum of leaf types for sencha?

I realize this is a totally newbie question, so please bear with me.

[Sydney]

I haven't had that particular one, but I've had a pretty wide range of sencha, and what you describe doesn't strike me as all that unusual.

[Salsero]

YM is a deep-steamed or fukamushi sencha. The small leaf bits are typical of fuka. Here is a post in a helpful, recent thread on the topic.

Here is a photo of the opposite, a light-steamed or asamushi sencha:


(click on the photo to link to a larger file of it)

[Chip]

My Sencha Yutaka Midori from O-Cha came today and these leaves are tiny... like gyokuro tiny, with lots of little bits like in gyokuro. Is that typical for this sencha, or is that a result of shipping/settling?

It's not important either way, the leaves smell like... well, "WOW!!!" is the word that comes to mind. I can't wait to try it. The question is just for my own education. My only other sencha experience is Adagio's sencha premier, and those leaves look totally different. Is there a spectrum of leaf types for sencha?

I realize this is a totally newbie question, so please bear with me.

Nice avatar, is it a border collie?

YM is really awesome in so many respects, the only complaint some people have is the leaf size, but as Sal has pointed out, in deep steaming, the leaf gets broken into smaller pieces. But there are many upsides to deep steaming!

If you have not done so already, PLEASE try this. Preheat your pot, empty it, then pour the dry leaf into the empty pot. Wait several seconds, SIT DOWN, and then smell the deep rich aroma of the leaf warming in your pot, wowza! Da bombe. This also allows you to cool the water from rolling boil to the correct brewing temp.

[ErikaM]

Sheltie, but she thinks she's a border collie.

Thanks so much! That explains the mystery. I guess my follow-up question is, do I still brew this like a sencha? Or with the small leaf bits, does it need to be brewed more like a gyokuro? I'll wait on the leaf-warming experiment until I'm sure of the right water temp. It smells so good already, I'd hate to totally screw up my first cup.

[Chip]

Sheltie, but she thinks she's a border collie.

Thanks so much! That explains the mystery. I guess my follow-up question is, do I still brew this like a sencha? Or with the small leaf bits, does it need to be brewed more like a gyokuro? I'll wait on the leaf-warming experiment until I'm sure of the right water temp. It smells so good already, I'd hate to totally screw up my first cup.

Ahh, the sunglasses threw me off.

Fukamushi is typically brewed for a shorter period of time, which is logical since it takes less time to brew small pieces. Most "fuka" is brewed 40-60 seconds. Most asamushi sencha is brewed longer as is gyokuro.

I would start at 50 for first steeps of YM and adjust accordingly.

The second steep is pure green and should only be brewed 20 seconcs or less. You can steep YM 5 times if you want, slowly increasing steep times and temps as you go.

[kymidwife]

Sheltie, but she thinks she's a border collie.

Welcome to Teachat, and greetings from my sheltie to yours! She's a beauty.

[Pentox]

Brew it like a sencha. Fukamushi is a subclass of sencha, it is just a bit more descriptive. i.e. a fukamushi is a sencha, but not all sencha is fukamushi.

With fukamushi you may want to pay more attention to what kind of strainer your teapot has. Because of the small leaf if you don't use something with a very good strainer or a wide set stainless steel infuser you'll end up with a lot of leaf bits in your cup.

One thing that I have noticed that is much more important with a fukamushi than a chumushi or an asamushi is the amount you make. Only make what you will drink very quickly, as the flavor will change due to the large amount of particulate mater in a steeped fukamushi.

Lastly I would undercut the water temp and bring it up instead of coming from the top down. I.e. start around 170 and go up until you find a temp you enjoy.

[Chip]

Lastly I would undercut the water temp and bring it up instead of coming from the top down. I.e. start around 170 and go up until you find a temp you enjoy.

Is that temp with a preheated pot? Most higher grade sencha I prefer lower temp, but in a preheated pot. 160* in a preheated pot is like 170-175* in a non preheated pot since the temp will drop so quickly.

YM can take hotter temps, I often use up to 170* in a preheated pot. But I have gone lower with different but very good results.

[Pentox]

Lastly I would undercut the water temp and bring it up instead of coming from the top down. I.e. start around 170 and go up until you find a temp you enjoy.

Is that temp with a preheated pot? Most higher grade sencha I prefer lower temp, but in a preheated pot. 160* in a preheated pot is like 170-175* in a non preheated pot since the temp will drop so quickly.

YM can take hotter temps, I often use up to 170* in a preheated pot. But I have gone lower with different but very good results.

Most of the time i'm too lazy to preheat. I just let a slightly higher temp compensate for me. Most numbers I say refer to non-preheated. (Except for gyokuro. I always preheat for that to drop the water temp down)

[Chip]

Thanks for clarifying that Pentox, especially for those who would not know.

[Shelob]

Hi ErikaM!
These guys are full of great advice and their wealth of knowledge is rivaled by None You came to the right place and will learn lots.
I never knew about preheating the pot til I came here... now that is what I do w/ shorter steeps as per Chip above and it is just FAB!

BTW, I love your avi YM FTW!

[Oni]

You mentioned earlyer that "gyokuro small", leaves, well i don`t know what gyokuro you`ve had, but generally gyokuro is hand picked, lightsteamed, and bigger leaves than fukamushi.

[ErikaM]

Thanks, everyone! I gave it a go at 170* for 50 seconds and decided that this is one seriously good tea. It also smells amazingly good in a preheated pot.

I botched up the second steep, totally a case of Stupid Human Trick. I thought, "20 seconds? I can't possibly be reading that right," so I did the second steep at 60... and promptly discovered why 20 or less was indeed correct. lol. Ah well, live and learn. I was only doing 4 oz at a time, so no great disaster.

I see what you mean about needing a good strainer. Mine managed ok for the first steep, but after that I did get a lot of little leaf bits escaping. Which really doesn't bother me that much, although you're right, it does start to change the taste. This is how people get sucked into a teaware-collecting spiral, isn't it?

[Chip]

Thanks, everyone! I gave it a go at 170* for 50 seconds and decided that this is one seriously good tea. It also smells amazingly good in a preheated pot.

True that! Mind blowingly good.

I botched up the second steep, totally a case of Stupid Human Trick. I thought, "20 seconds? I can't possibly be reading that right," so I did the second steep at 60... and promptly discovered why 20 or less was indeed correct. lol. Ah well, live and learn. I was only doing 4 oz at a time, so no great disaster.

We all live and learn, I am sure everyone of us made the same mistake, and hopefully learned quickly. Forums are great for speeding up the learning curve dramatically.

I see what you mean about needing a good strainer. Mine managed ok for the first steep, but after that I did get a lot of little leaf bits escaping. Which really doesn't bother me that much, although you're right, it does start to change the taste. This is how people get sucked into a teaware-collecting spiral, isn't it?

Nothing like a kyusu to deal with fukamushi!!! Bet you can't own just one ...