what kind of green tea is this?

[TIM]

priceless! The fact that this is printed onto the tin makes it even more so.

As a collector of Asian tins, this would be a great addition. Where was it purchased? Company name?

My Japanese hair stylist got it from her mother in Tokyo. Her mom send her tea every 6 months to keep the daughter lively.... I don't know, but there is a company name on the printout.

[olivierco]

The kanji 新茶 is shincha.

It is a 88th night shincha (八十八 as printed in red is 88 ), plucked 88 nights after the beginning of spring.

So it is sencha.

[Pentox]

The kanji 新茶 is shincha.

It is a 88th night shincha (八十八 as printed in red is 88 ), plucked 88 nights after the beginning of spring.

So it is sencha.

Doesn't shincha technically refer to the time of harvesting and not necessarily the actual processing? So you could technically have a shincha gyokuro

[Chip]

That is true, Pentox.

88 nights is a very traditional name and shincha harvest. I almost perceive it to be part wisdom and part superstition. Most harvests are done at the optimum time, period. But there are still harvests based on a date on the calendar only. It is interesting reading, actually.

[Pentox]

That is true, Pentox.

88 nights is a very traditional name and shincha harvest. I almost perceive it to be part wisdom and part superstition. Most harvests are done at the optimum time, period. But there are still harvests based on a date on the calendar only. It is interesting reading, actually.

I actually like the notion that there are calendar based harvests like this though. Although I didn't get any from this year. But in theory a calendar based harvest is more indicative of the weather of the year. If you base it on optimal time then you will adjust to get the same cup of tea. But a calendar based will tell you it's a colder year or if it's a drier year, or sunnier, etc. It becomes more a tea of the year and the harvest, not just trying to hit the same spot every year.

[Chip]

Yes, well conveyed. That was part of my thoughts. I think I had 88 nights only once. One would have to get it every year to appreciate the differences from year to year, kind of one's own tradition.

Of course, there is something to be said for harvesting at the most optimal time as well.

[battra]

The small text is too small to see, but i think it looks like it says "...is fukamushicha" which I guess refers to the green tin - the larger text says "Guide to shincha - tea for beauty and health".

[bambooforest]

Like Chip, I too like the packaging of the tins and box.

The Japanese know how to roll.

[Salsero]

It becomes more a tea of the year and the harvest, not just trying to hit the same spot every year.

Very cool idea. Sort of puts the human role in a different perspective, more humble.

[TIM]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65257125@N00/2866074673/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65257125@N ... otostream/

here are the close up of the green tin tea. Pull back Left is the white tin and Right is the green.

They look similar, but taste very different.... is it usual to have two different tea from the same plantation package like this from Japan?

[chrl42]

The girl in the first picture is pretty although I doubt if she really plucked the leaves..

[Pentox]

They look similar, but taste very different.... is it usual to have two different tea from the same plantation package like this from Japan?

It's a rather common thing to see. Especially for gift sets and the like.

[olivierco]

Doesn't shincha technically refer to the time of harvesting and not necessarily the actual processing? So you could technically have a shincha gyokuro

I haven't seen so far many shincha gyokuro (in fact only one from a shop that doesn't ship to France) and all 88th nights I saw were sencha.

Moreover no 玉露 kanji on the label. As gyokuro is more expensive than sencha, I guess they would have written it with a large font.

[TIM]

玉露 = gyokuro
新茶 = shincha.

what is tencha = ?

what is gyokuro means? Thanks everyone again for helping me : )

[chamekke]

玉露 = gyokuro
新茶 = shincha.

what is tencha = ?

what is gyokuro means? Thanks everyone again for helping me : )

点茶 = tencha

The -ro part in gyokuro means dew. I've seen the first part, gyoku, variously translated as jade, pearl, jewel, and precious.