Sencha in small packets?

[Dogma_i]

People often send me 5~10g single-pot portions of Chinese oolongs (mainly) in evacuated barrier bags. These are very convenient, especially when traveling, and maintain freshness for a long time. But in my experience, most oolongs can take a bit of air without damage anyway.

Not so with the finer green teas, which often seem to lose savor in just a few humid minutes. I would drink much more sencha and gyokuro, as well as some tender Chinese greens, if I could find vendors of high-quality stock that sell in similar packages at not too great a premium. The smaller, stay-fresh packaging would also be helpful in giving gifts and making up mixed samplers for tea neophytes.

Might someone here be able to recommend US or Japanese tea vendors who offer this?

Thanks-

DM

[AdamMY]

While this is not a bad idea, I just think it offers a few more important problems than solutions. Those who brew sencha tend to have access to a larger variety of teaware sizes that are much harder to scale. Not to mention Sencha is a bit harder to adjust the brews in time when dealing with a 2 gram difference than what you are used to in size.

So while for oolongs it is rather standard to have a 7 or 8 gram bag, 7 to 8 grams would likely be 8-10 oz of Sencha, so what do you do if you have a 6 oz kyusu, or what about a 12 oz?

Not to mention how a foil bag filled with 7 grams of sencha would either be incredibly small, or appear empty.

[Dogma_i]

Fair points, and you may be more of a precisionist than most. But even 10~12g (rather than the more common 50-100g) packets, giving perhaps 4-6 kyusu-worth, would help greatly in preserving freshness by minimizing open time for each bag. And given that it's normal to multi-steep Japanese greens (with the obvious exception), it's easy enough for most occasions to adjust time/temperature to a little more or less leaf.

-DM

[Chip]

There are a some examples of where this is done for really premo gyokuro.

There is also the increased packaging cost not to mention shipping, and most sencha-heads order direct from Japan. I would imagine it could possibly 2X the final shipped price. Labor cost in Japan is much higher than in China.

It would be great if it was done on a mass scale for maybe 25% of the sencha out there. It would also make sharing and tasting programs a snap.

[AdamMY]

There are a some examples of where this is done for really premo gyokuro.

There is also the increased packaging cost not to mention shipping, and most sencha-heads order direct from Japan. I would imagine it could possibly 2X the final shipped price. Labor cost in Japan is much higher than in China.

It would be great if it was done on a mass scale for maybe 25% of the sencha out there. It would also make sharing and tasting programs a snap.

Yeah I am saying that it is not done, I do believe Ian had gotten Temomicha in 10 gram bags, but those quite special versions of "sencha"

[Chip]

There are a some examples of where this is done for really premo gyokuro.

There is also the increased packaging cost not to mention shipping, and most sencha-heads order direct from Japan. I would imagine it could possibly 2X the final shipped price. Labor cost in Japan is much higher than in China.

It would be great if it was done on a mass scale for maybe 25% of the sencha out there. It would also make sharing and tasting programs a snap.

Yeah I am saying that it is not done, I do believe Ian had gotten Temomicha in 10 gram bags, but those quite special versions of "sencha"

Heh, I was not saying you were saying that it is not done.

Your example also lends credence that it is more feasible for higher end Japanese offerings, special teas.

[iannon]

yup..10g foil packets..but not quite the same as the chinese super vacuum packed ones. they were more like just small versions of the regular sencha bags..but also in a plastic box to help protect the leaves..which is another consideration with sencha more so than a rolled oolong for instance