Wondering about quality of my sencha

[woozl]

The more savvy the patron, (hopefully better product)
can't hurt to ask....might help

[Chip]

I don't think I ever got a bum stear from a reputable Japanese tea vendor, not even a reputable USA vendor. I wish the info was right on the site which makes it harder to fudge the answers. Plus I would truly rather not have to ask these fundamental harvest, origin, and level of steaming questions.

Samples are also hard to come by with Japanese tea due to the strict packaging adhered to by most vendors specializing in Japanese tea. Thus tasting or sampling is usually trying a few 50-100 gram bags from various vendors.

But if is May 2009, I want to know for 100% certain that I am buying 2009 harvest tea.

Of course, there is always TeaChat or other forums where one can also ask questions from others who have had experience with particular vendors.

And then there is personal taste anyway. Not everyone is going to love the same sencha.

[iheartea]

Thanks you all! I thought I knew a little about sencha, but I didn't know how little I actually know. I was concentrating on the antioxidant value and did not uncover this area of green tea info yet. The DEGREES of steaming are all new to me, but this comes at a great time because I can be a more educated consumer prior to my business trip to Tokyo and Kyoto. And I do plan on a short side trip to Uji. This new bit of knowledge makes green teas all the more fascinating.

[JPX]

Asa means light, mushi means steamed, and cha is well ... tea. Asamushicha

...and then there can be levels of steaming in between, such as between chumushi and fukamushi, etc. A lot is in the interpretation of the maker.

would you happen to have a link where i could educate myself about all the terms ?

[Chip]

http://www.o-cha.com/greenteaglossary/

[JPX]

http://www.o-cha.com/greenteaglossary/

thanks ur my hero!