Found this vendor I have never tried selling what purports to be selling "The winner in the 63th Hand rubbed Sencha Competition in Kansai"
Is this marketing hype or is the site for real? I haven't been to the competition in Kansai, but I know about the national competition in Tokyo which I think is held by the Japan ministry of agriculture. This site seems to have a lot of teas I have never tried or heard of. Anyone have experience with this company, Kaburagien?
http://www.kaburagien.co.jp/english/goods.php
more here :
http://www.kaburagien.co.jp/english/sp_1011/
Re: Winner 63rd Hand rubbed Sencha Competition
in what way could the site not be for real ?
as for "marketing hype" I assume you refer to the competition thing. Well, any competition has to do with triggering interest in participants and their teas and with image--what we nowadays consider as part of marketing. it is a step (among other possible steps) to put a product on the market and/or position it. This does not mean that the teas are not good or even excellent per se. The other way round, lots of producers make excellent teas that have not been in competitions.
I would not judge a tea by whether it has been in a competition or not; I am never impressed by competitions and awards, whatever the field.
that said, my view is you can try kaburagien without fear, particularly if you wish to try temomi (hand rubbed) at a reasonable price.
(another option for affordable and interesting hand made is maiko jirushi gyokuro ; not sencha, but... hand made
)
as for "marketing hype" I assume you refer to the competition thing. Well, any competition has to do with triggering interest in participants and their teas and with image--what we nowadays consider as part of marketing. it is a step (among other possible steps) to put a product on the market and/or position it. This does not mean that the teas are not good or even excellent per se. The other way round, lots of producers make excellent teas that have not been in competitions.
I would not judge a tea by whether it has been in a competition or not; I am never impressed by competitions and awards, whatever the field.
that said, my view is you can try kaburagien without fear, particularly if you wish to try temomi (hand rubbed) at a reasonable price.
(another option for affordable and interesting hand made is maiko jirushi gyokuro ; not sencha, but... hand made
)
Re: Winner 63rd Hand rubbed Sencha Competition
Today after lunch I am going to a 'tea tasting' event. The participants are supposedly the winners of this years Kansai temomi and regular green tea competition. I will have a look see for kaburagien. I wonder if 'hand kneaded' might be a better translation?
Dave
Dave
Re: Winner 63rd Hand rubbed Sencha Competition
I too will be thrilled to read about this, great !togei wrote:Today after lunch I am going to a 'tea tasting' event. The participants are supposedly the winners of this years Kansai temomi and regular green tea competition. I will have a look see for kaburagien.
yes, you are right --much much closer, as the gestures do not involve merely rubbing the leaves.togei wrote:I wonder if 'hand kneaded' might be a better translation?
Dave
(would temominated work as japanism you think?
)Re: Winner 63rd Hand rubbed Sencha Competition
would temominated work as japanism you think?
I don't know but it sure made me laugh.
I didn't make it to the tasting after all.
The format of the tasting was as follows. You were given 5 pieces of paper as you entered. Written on the paper were words such as 'wind' 'moon' etc. The goal was to figure out where the tea came from in Japan by tasting it. I am not sure how the pieces of paper came into the picture but it did sound like fun.
Dave
I don't know but it sure made me laugh.
I didn't make it to the tasting after all.
The format of the tasting was as follows. You were given 5 pieces of paper as you entered. Written on the paper were words such as 'wind' 'moon' etc. The goal was to figure out where the tea came from in Japan by tasting it. I am not sure how the pieces of paper came into the picture but it did sound like fun.
Dave