Koicha

[chamekke]

by chamekke » Apr 17th, '09, 15:21

I tried my hand at making koicha for the first time a few days ago, and the result was not good. It seemed bitter and unpleasant. I used Ippodo's Horai-no-mukashi: 3 heaping (bamboo) teaspoons sifted into preheated chawan, 60 ml water. Although it was pretty thick, it did still flow, but it tasted awful. Is it possible that I just don't like koicha? I really like usucha and have loved every bowl I've made. Could I have done something wrong?

On page 3 of this thread, Joel (joelbct) mentioned trying this brand for koicha and absolutely loving it. So if he doesn't join in on this thread, you might try shooting him a PM to ask if he has any tips.

I haven't tried this tea so I can't comment, but it seems to me that it must be a matter of the water temperature being too high OR the matcha being stale. (But I'm sure you would have noticed if the colour was off.)

[Geekgirl]

by Geekgirl » Apr 17th, '09, 15:43

Dunno Sal, I love usucha, but am not crazy about koicha. I've tried it with the Horai, and the Waka. The waka was a bit better, but the water was very cool, probably not more than 125-130deg. I made the Horai at 140-145deg. Still, it was kind of like drinking pureed veggies (or lawn). I had to try it. But I don't think I'll be spending much time with this version. Heh.

[Salsero]

by Salsero » Apr 17th, '09, 23:18

Thanks for the help from all of you. I suspect the water was too hot. I will try again with cooler water.

[brandon]

by brandon » Apr 18th, '09, 09:03

My Ippodo matcha is a little stale so I tried making koicha today with organic Yame matcha from Yuuki-cha. Why not?

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/Organic+Matcha ... ame+Matcha

This is not one of their brands labeled as good enough for koicha, but any amount of bitterness was very pleasant. It reminded me of letting dark chocolate melt in your mouth. As with usucha from organic Yame, I am feeling very relaxed but not buzzed.

Oh, I used the method from Ippodo Oliver relayed in the OP.

[hpulley]

by hpulley » Apr 26th, '09, 09:20

If you don't mind bitterness then you can double up on matcha any day but koicha are specifically MILD enough to be used thick or thin without become too bitter. Their colour and aroma should be very intense but at the same time the flavor must be enjoyable while being 'drank' as a very thick tea. Not all of them work that well for me, some are eye squintingly bitter when doubled up.

Manten is great. Kotobuki is quite good but not quite as good IMO.

[chamekke]

Re: Koicha

by chamekke » Sep 27th, '09, 14:30

The other thing to bear in mind is that traditionally you would eat a sweet immediately prior to drinking the tea. This leaves a lingering sweetness in the mouth that dispels any bitterness you might experience when drinking the tea. Or, that's the theory anyway...

Now I do think that matcha should taste good without having to be "masked" by a sweet. But, you can always try eating a mildly flavoured sweet of some sort right before drinking the matcha, and see if you like the result. (Any sweet will do, but Liberty Orchards' Aplets and Cotlets - an American version of Turkish Delight - are actually quite similar to a certain type of Japanese moist sweet.)