2010 Official Shincha Ordering Topic

[Chip]

Does O-Cha send a notice out when they ship? I have not seen anything on my YM, or the matcha I ordered last week. Just curious if they may be on the way.

Yes, I think it will say something like this. "Your order has been completed successfully."

It would be the second notice you receive about the order. The first one you receive instantly, the second when they are shipping your order.

[laura99]

Thanks Chip - I will be patient!

[Chip]

Thanks Chip - I will be patient!

If you did not get that second email, I would go ahead and contact O-Cha.

[AdamMY]

to be honest I did not receive any emails notifying shipment. They just appeared at my door.

[laura99]

Thanks Chip/Adam. Maybe it will be there when I get home

[camw]

Thanks Chip/Adam. Maybe it will be there when I get home

I had a tracking number in my order history that I was watching it get closer with here -> http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ems/index_en.html

I also didn't get any notification emails that it was shipping, I had to check it manually.

[Chip]

Thanks Chip/Adam. Maybe it will be there when I get home

I had a tracking number in my order history that I was watching it get closer with here -> http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ems/index_en.html

I also didn't get any notification emails that it was shipping, I had to check it manually.

I just read on "the other forum" that he does things differently during preorder season, so I was wrong and Adam was correct.

[laura99]

Thanks Chip/Adam. Maybe it will be there when I get home

I had a tracking number in my order history that I was watching it get closer with here -> http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ems/index_en.html

I also didn't get any notification emails that it was shipping, I had to check it manually.

I did check my order, but I choose the cheaper shipping so don't think I will see any tracking information.

[puerhking]

I think I am up and over 20 Shincha on order!!! Someone tell me to STOP!

OMG! So that means you will have....1.5 or more kilos of shincha? Yeah...you should probably stop there.

[Ed]

I ordered more shincha than I could consume last Spring and the last few packages were definitely past their prime by the time I opened them. Shincha has a higher moisture content and does not keep as long as regular sencha even if it's sealed and kept in the fridge. I found that out the hard way. I'm just ordering as much as I can drink quickly this year. But if you have lots of tea drinkers in the household then why not go nuts!

[Chip]

But if you have lots of tea drinkers in the household then why not go nuts!

I do it every year ... I keep the TeaFridge at 33* ... and I share a lot through tastings/samplings ...

Unless the TeaFridge breaks and I don't know about it for weeks, it should be fine.

[Ed]

Regardless of storage temperature, I think it is always recommended to consume shincha quickly. That extra moisture in the leaves gives it that shincha freshness but it also will make it go bad much faster than regular sencha. I opened a bag of shincha in late June last year and it was nothing like the first bag (same exact tea) I had opened immediately. Real shincha doesn't keep well, unfortunately.

[Chip]

Thanks for your input ...

Shincha is traditionally off the shelves once sold out or by the end of July in Japan, whichever comes first. But I just looked at a label on a Yuuki-Cha shincha bag that says expires April 2011.

I have found that Fukamushi Shincha fades before Asamushi Shincha. But I have already had two different fuka months after July (January 2009 I think), one was stellar, one had faded.

Any shincha I have after July, I sell to Teavana. (JK)

[bambooforest]

Thanks for your input ...

Shincha is traditionally off the shelves once sold out or by the end of July in Japan, whichever comes first. But I just looked at a label on a Yuuki-Cha shincha bag that says expires April 2011.

'Expiration dates' in my opinion are completely arbitrary.

I personally don't think shincha is better than non-shincha. It's different, but I'm not convinced it's better. Sometimes the difference is hardly noticeable (if at all). Other times, it's more dramatic. But it's never that big a difference.

As far as how long a sealed bag would stay fresh in the refrigerator, well... I don't think I've ever gone much past August, so can't say from personal experience.

But... I would be surprised if it wouldn't taste fresh throughout the year as long as it was sealed and refrigerated.

I like Chip's assessment on the shincha issue: It's really a celebration of Spring more than anything else.

I've only purchased two bags of shincha so far this year: Two bags of 'shincha sencha' from Maiko. It's only 1350 yen a bag and I recall liking the flavor of it more than their higher grade shincha. Really good asamushi at a really good price.

[Chip]

'Expiration dates' in my opinion are completely arbitrary.

Yeah, expiration dates on tea are for suckahs!

Seriously, I would nevah evah buy any tea based on a so called expiration date.

Give us the harvest info, or give us banchaaaaaa ...