edkrueger wrote:But not everyone knows how to count.Oni wrote:Everybody knows the 3 category bancha, sencha, gyokuro and matcha.
Dec 16th, '08, 16:47
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Space Samurai
aren't gyokuro and matcha the same basically, at least the same type of leaf cultivation besides the whole grinding part?
i agree with chip, yutaka midori shincha is probably the most glowing experience i've had with japanese green tea (but, i don't drink matcha and have only dabbled in gyokuro).
it is kind of an unanswerable question, i understand what oni is saying. there are good teas but to say the best is perhaps impossible/irrelevant. we should instead be talking about the qualities good and bad of each tea.
i agree with chip, yutaka midori shincha is probably the most glowing experience i've had with japanese green tea (but, i don't drink matcha and have only dabbled in gyokuro).
it is kind of an unanswerable question, i understand what oni is saying. there are good teas but to say the best is perhaps impossible/irrelevant. we should instead be talking about the qualities good and bad of each tea.
Technically, matcha leaf (before being ground) is called tencha. I know chip and a bunch of others have had it and loved it.greenisgood wrote:aren't gyokuro and matcha the same basically, at least the same type of leaf cultivation besides the whole grinding part?
i agree with chip, yutaka midori shincha is probably the most glowing experience i've had with japanese green tea (but, i don't drink matcha and have only dabbled in gyokuro).
it is kind of an unanswerable question, i understand what oni is saying. there are good teas but to say the best is perhaps impossible/irrelevant. we should instead be talking about the qualities good and bad of each tea.
I haven't said I know about Japanese tea. I just thought this would be a fun megathread to help tea newbies and myself see what to try. I drink alot of japanese tea and every tea purchase has been based off this forum. Recommendations are why i get teas that is the purpose of this thread.Oni wrote:Someone who knows about japanese teas wouldn`t ask this quastion.
I'm sorry that you feel above everyone on this forum. Teachat is no place for hating
Yeah I meant to say what are the best to you (i.e. your favorites)Pentox wrote:Asking what are the best is a hard question to answer. It's much easier to say what your favorite is, or the best you've had this year, or any other number of more quantified questions. "the best" is somewhat arbitrary.
Regardless here's my answers for this year as my fav
Fukamushis? - Nothing truly outstanding comes to mind. Chiran Yutakamidori from O-cha or Lupicia are both up there, Lupicia's is less of a fuka.
Asamushis? I have a problem differentiating asa vs chu. Hard to label one here.
Overall Senchas? - Sugimoto USA Sencha
Gurichas? - Nothing outstanding comes to mind
Genmaichas? - Sugimoto USA Genmaicha
Hojichas? Toss up between O-cha's Houji and Sugimoto's Houji. I hope to do a side by side.
Matchas? Koyama -en Eiju
Gyokuros? - Yame Gyo Vil Hoshino from Bassaro
I can't wait to order from Sugimoto. I asked the Guricha because I have only had the dens and was not impressed and I was very interested in what others have had.
Yeah Sugimoto came as a huge surprise to me this year. Prior to the WTE I hadn't heard of them at all, with good reason; they're tiny! They are quite spectacular in the 3 teas that they do offer though. The hoji is a pretty good hoji, but I'm still on my vast search of the lands of hoji.devites wrote: Yeah I meant to say what are the best to you (i.e. your favorites)
I can't wait to order from Sugimoto. I asked the Guricha because I have only had the dens and was not impressed and I was very interested in what others have had.
As far as guri goes, I've had two that come to mind. Both were offerings from Lupicia and I didn't really enjoy them. To chip's benefit. Crossing the bridge of going from Japanese to Chinese style greens was not something that I really enjoyed. I like being firmly in the realm of Japanese greens. I'll probably delve back into that ring at some point though. I'm still working on trying to find chinese greens that I enjoy.
Yeah I started with dragonwell and that still remains the only chinese green that I really have enjoyed. My New Years resolution is to try more Chinese teas! I love gaiwans! Weird I just looked up Sugimoto USA only to see that I use have those containers of genmaicha and hojicha in my tea cabinet. And yes i loved them. I got them at the Northwest Tea Festival here in Seattle and I guess I forgot that Sugimoto USA was SA.Pentox wrote:Yeah Sugimoto came as a huge surprise to me this year. Prior to the WTE I hadn't heard of them at all, with good reason; they're tiny! They are quite spectacular in the 3 teas that they do offer though. The hoji is a pretty good hoji, but I'm still on my vast search of the lands of hoji.devites wrote: Yeah I meant to say what are the best to you (i.e. your favorites)
I can't wait to order from Sugimoto. I asked the Guricha because I have only had the dens and was not impressed and I was very interested in what others have had.
As far as guri goes, I've had two that come to mind. Both were offerings from Lupicia and I didn't really enjoy them. To chip's benefit. Crossing the bridge of going from Japanese to Chinese style greens was not something that I really enjoyed. I like being firmly in the realm of Japanese greens. I'll probably delve back into that ring at some point though. I'm still working on trying to find chinese greens that I enjoy.
Pentox wrote:Crossing the bridge of going from Japanese to Chinese style greens was not something that I really enjoyed. I like being firmly in the realm of Japanese greens. I'll probably delve back into that ring at some point though. I'm still working on trying to find chinese greens that I enjoy.
I've also been testing Chinese greens and share your thoughts... I mean that I'm missing the strong taste of sencha and Chinese greens seem to be too subtle for my liking. Maybe it would have been easier to change from Chinese greens to Japanese greens than the other way round. I don't mean that I wouldn't enjoy the taste of Chinese greens but for me they taste a bit boring when compared to Japanese greens. So far I've tried Dragonwell, Tai Ping Hou Kui and Pi Lo Chun. I've got a few more to try but I have the feeling that I'm going to return to sencha.devites wrote:Yeah I started with dragonwell and that still remains the only chinese green that I really have enjoyed. My New Years resolution is to try more Chinese teas! I love gaiwans!
I don`t know what I would recomend for a starter, japanese green tea needs a little bit of tea experience, at least someone should have drank chinese greens, and compulsory he or she should be used to drinking tea without sugar. Maybe Kabusencha, it is not as tricky to brew as a fukamushi, it is sweet, not too dry as some asamushi sencha, and not as complicated as gyokuro, or as complex as matcha.
No love for China
I happen to like the subtlety of a Chinese green tea. Usually I stick to a high grade dragonwell, but there are others with merit. Of course I love a good Japanese green, but I do not think that Chinese greens should be relegated to novices. They have been drinking tea a long time and just do it differently.
I didn't mean to diss Chinese greens, I just meant to say that since I started out by drinking Japanese I've grown to like green tea like that. It's like learning first to drink espresso and then trying ordinary coffee. The palate is accustomed to strong taste and even though the more subtle drink is ok, one craves for the "real stuff" 
Shincha vs Sencha
Hi everyone,
I am new to the world of teas, and since I became a member of this forum I notice two words which are very similar: Shincha & Sencha. Are they actually the same type of tea?
Thanks.
I am new to the world of teas, and since I became a member of this forum I notice two words which are very similar: Shincha & Sencha. Are they actually the same type of tea?
Thanks.
