less-expensive matcha comments

[Sydney]

I've now had three "less expensive" (not "cheap") kinds of matcha. One from O-Cha, and 2 from Yuuki-Cha. All three have been enjoyable, and I figured "less expensive" matcha might merit comments.

O-Cha Kiri no Mori: $15.95/30 grams. I blew through almost the whole tin in 2 weeks, leaving enough to streeeetch until more could arrive from Yuuki-Cha. Like the Konjo mentioned next, it's from Uji.

Yuuki-Cha Organic Uji Matcha Yuuki Konjo: $15.00/40 grams. I've only had a little of this so far, but it's pretty similar to the Kiri no Mori. Considering that it's also available for $25/100 grams, if you plow through matcha at the rate I have lately, it's got some real potential for saving a few bucks.

Yuuki-Cha Organic Yame Matcha: $20.00/40 grams. Has a completely different taste from either of the Uji matcha offerings. More mellow and creamy, I'd say. It was the first matcha I tried in a one-serving sample, and I liked it enough that I ordered 40g.

Anyone else care to give thumbs up (or down) to some "economical" matcha?

[Chip]

I have always sought out cheaper sencha that was GOOD enough to be called an everyday sencha. Sometimes that worked, sometimes not.

Tried this and failed miserably with gyokuro, well, the Yame gyo from O-Cha for 28 USD is as close as I came to an everyday gyo worth drinking. It is good, but 28 is still not really everyday pricing.

Matcha I think is very doable as an everyday matcha with cheaper stuff from a few vendors, much more so than gyokuro. I say thumbs up, but it is far from universal. Just do not drink a really good matcha and then an everyday one.

LOL, those single serving samples seem to have been a boon to the matcha industry.

[Geekgirl]

Kind of an undefined question, but I'll answer that I've found very good matcha at economical prices, and I've had some crap matcha that retailed for quite expensive. Hard to say.

I've had success with an $11/40g from Uwajimaya. Ippodo has some nice stuff for good prices if you buy enough to make the shipping worthwhile. Ito-en's lowest grade (and cheapest) matcha is not bad - although for the price, one can do better elsewhere. I've yet to find any really cheap matcha that was worth drinking. It seems the absolute fall-off point IME is about $11-12/40g.

[Sydney]

LOL, those single serving samples seem to have been a boon to the matcha industry.

True fact, that. And receipt of one prompted me to go ahead and take the plunge for some proper matcha gear.

What really sold me before that was the Sencha Extra Green with Matcha from Den's Tea. The first infusion is matcha-enhanced, and the second is just a good sencha with all the matcha washed away.

I'd had Genmai with matcha before from a few vendors and liked it, but this was the one that made me "get it" in a new way.

But nothing had prepared me for the spiffiness of a whisked bowl.

[silvermage2000]

Cool I will keep those places in mind if I want to try matcha. I still say that is not very cheap. If its good then I guess its worth it.

[ryux]

Any decently priced matcha from marukyu-koyamaen that people recommand? I drink a lot, so it's always great to know tasty matcha that's also economical!