Sasaki Japanese Green Tea

[Jack_teachat]

A Japanese food/tea vendor based over here in the UK called Japan Centre stocks first flush sencha from a Japanese company called Sasaki (see below) The stock they have in seems still to be Shincha.

http://www.japancentre.com/?cmd=itm&cid=178&id=2410

http://www.japancentre.com/?cmd=itm&cid=178&id=2409

Has anybody had any experience with this brand of tea before? I was considering ordering some as the price seems fairly reasonable and shipping is cheap for me.

Jack

[Pentox]

Never tried it, but looks legit enough from the site. I'd give it a try if I lived in your neck of the woods. Although it is a bit late to be finding shincha out on shelves still. Normally it's my understanding most shincha should have been moved by now. Otherwise it's a bit suspect.

[Chip]

Tradtionally, Shincha is off the shelves I think in July. I remember seeing someone selling shincha this year in February or March.

Sometimes the only thing to do is try it. I am not familiar with the brand. Not hearing of it makes me a little suspect. But if I saw it in a reputable store, I might give it a go.

[Jack_teachat]

http://www.sasaki-seicha.com/english/aboutus.html

Just found their site, looks pretty legit.

[Chip]

Thanx, Jack. Well, I really like the picture on their English home page of Mt. Fuji with Tea fields in the foreground.

Let us know if and when you try it.

[Pentox]

http://www.sasaki-seicha.com/english/aboutus.html

Just found their site, looks pretty legit.

From what it looks like to me, they need to get a better webdesigner.

[kongni]

Tradtionally, Shincha is off the shelves I think in July. I remember seeing someone selling shincha this year in February or March.

I just picked up a paper canister of Maeda-en shincha from the local japanese grocery store today. I thought it would have been gone by now!

Jack_teachat - is £17.90 a pretty decent price for good tea there in the UK?

[Jack_teachat]

To be honest it's hard to find good Japanese green tea in stores over here. I would probably go for the £12.90 one first and use that to gauge how good I think the premium would be. Because after all £17 is getting to around the O-Cha price mark, and I would be very annoyed to pay that sort of money and then think hmmm I could be drinking Yutaka Midori instead!

[Chip]

I would be very annoyed to pay that sort of money and then think hmmm I could be drinking Yutaka Midori instead!

Very good point. When in doubt, Yutaka Midori FTW!

And it is virtually impossible to get good store bought Japanese teas here as well. Besides that, there are then freshness issues. Anything bought from a vendor in Japan such as O-Cha has their inventory in cold storage up to purchase/shipping.