Proper Matcha Taste

[lkj23]

wow very interesting, I have to do an ocha order, so I´ll try this.

kaoru or kaoru supreme(little expensive)?

[Chasm]

The less expensive one, not the supreme. I want to try the supreme, but I haven't had the chance yet.

[Chasm]

Feel free to laugh, but my favorite test of a particular matcha is how good the powder tastes. If I'm hard pressed to stop eating the powder long enough to actually whisk up some matcha, I call it a good one.

Every time I break the seal on a new can of O-Cha's Kaoru organic matcha, when air mixes with the nitrogen you can always find me trying to lick the "smoke" out of the air before any of the delicious goodness gets away.

[lkj23]

you like this matcha a lot hehe tomorrow Ill buy some to try. Thank you

[Nenugal]

I almost gave up on matcha in the beginning, when I experimented with some cheap matcha from a European shop, trying to make it in a cereal bowl with a spoon instead of a chasen (bamboo whisk). The result was predictably a terrible bitter lumpy mess. Luckily I gave it another chance, I bought a cheap chasen and some of the cheapest matcha from o-cha. I also started paying more attention to amount and temperature of water. The result was already much better, but only after watching some youtube matcha-making videos and getting some practice, did I manage to actually make this green bubbly stuff really good. Don't give up, it is worth the effort in the end. Now I drink matcha daily and wouldn't be without it. Also, I agree that the Sansui from Zencha is really good; it is my favourite so far

[breakawaymatcha]

Eating it is actually a pretty good test! Check for umami -- it should boatloads of it. Color is the other quickie test -- the brighter, the better.

[Chasm]

I just finished the last scourings of a can of Kaoru Organic that had been open for a good two months or more, which is far too long after opening.

I still got a sweet grassy drink with plenty of umami. It didn't whip up to the creaminess of a new can, but that's to be expected.

[Chasm]

But I ran into the usual problem of wanting to lick out the inside of the can.

[Stentor]

The less expensive one, not the supreme. I want to try the supreme, but I haven't had the chance yet.

I REALLY liked the Kaoru Supreme.

[Drax]

The less expensive one, not the supreme. I want to try the supreme, but I haven't had the chance yet.

I REALLY liked the Kaoru Supreme.

+1, it's very nice.

[FlyedPiper]

Next time get the Kiri-no-mori from O-Cha if you have issues with bitterness. I've had about 8 bowls of it so far, none without so much as a hint of bitterness. While I have not tried the slightly cheaper organic stuff you're talking about, I can almost guarantee you kiri-no-mori will be head and shoulders better as far as quality goes, taken from my own experience and other's reviews. And only a couple bucks more .

That being said I don't think some bitterness in a matcha is a strike against it as far as quality. As long as it is balanced by other flavors.

Also, make sure you are not adding too hot of water. I brew mine at about 180 in a preheated chawan to make a nice foam.

[hopeofdawn]

Thanks for all the recommendations, everyone--I'm almost out of my current matcha stash, so I'll definitely need to be ordering more! I've also used some of the tricks suggested on here, and my matcha over the last couple of days has been greatly improved. I've especially found the trick of adding water after whisking very helpful--it helps me adjust a bowl of matcha that might otherwise be a tad too strong without losing any of my pretty pretty foam.

Now I just need to start taking more pictures of my results to post--sadly, I usually drink it in the morning, and since I go to work at oh-dark-thirty, the lighting is never very good for nice photos ....

[hopeofdawn]

Next time get the Kiri-no-mori from O-Cha if you have issues with bitterness. I've had about 8 bowls of it so far, none without so much as a hint of bitterness. While I have not tried the slightly cheaper organic stuff you're talking about, I can almost guarantee you kiri-no-mori will be head and shoulders better as far as quality goes, taken from my own experience and other's reviews. And only a couple bucks more .

That being said I don't think some bitterness in a matcha is a strike against it as far as quality. As long as it is balanced by other flavors.

Also, make sure you are not adding too hot of water. I brew mine at about 180 in a preheated chawan to make a nice foam.

Thanks for the rec--I've definitely added it to my short list. And oddly enough, I think part of my problem was I was letting my water cool too much before adding it to my matcha--now that I'm pouring into another cup and then straight into the chawan without waiting, the taste seems to be better ....

[AdamMY]

I will second what Tim said earlier. Ippodo has some of the best matcha I have ever tasted, and even though I have tried other matcha's I always go to Ippodo when I want to place a matcha order.

[brlarson]

An inexpensive matcha that I have enjoyed is O-Cha's Kiku Mukashi.

It is light, lean, and firm with great breadth on the palate, and it has a slight bite that is in perfect counterpoint to the Uji green-tea taste. Most of the other matchas I have tasted have been rounder and sweeter with varying amounts of fleshiness, and frankly I've enjoyed almost every one of them, but I really like the austerity of the Kiku Mukashi.

Hmmm. I have an unopened can of Manten within arms reach. I might need to crack it open for breakfast.