I have yet to try real matcha, I've had green tea bags that have some matcha in it as well as leaves, but I want to have a go with the real deal. Anyone able to suggest a good, economical, matcha? Perhaps a website?
Thanks!
Yes - there's a dash/hyphen in it.
I just ordered and received an order of kiri-no-mori (today), but I won't be tasting it until tomorrow morning. I haven't ever tried it before.
I'll post my reaction.
I have really been enjoying Waku, and Den's miyabi. Both excellent.
Den's is $24 for 20g at denstea.com.
Waku is $23 for 20g at inpursuitoftea.com
I just ordered and received an order of kiri-no-mori (today), but I won't be tasting it until tomorrow morning. I haven't ever tried it before.
I'll post my reaction.
I have really been enjoying Waku, and Den's miyabi. Both excellent.
Den's is $24 for 20g at denstea.com.
Waku is $23 for 20g at inpursuitoftea.com
Jun 21st, '09, 08:40
Posts: 727
Joined: Dec 22nd, '07, 21:02
Location: the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy
Hey GD, nice to see you! I'm really loving Den's Miyabi.
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
Victoria,
I await matcha news?
I thought you mentioned some new matcha's on the way?
Have they arrived?
What are they/where from?
And most importantly, How are they?
On my end, I just discovered that Teavana opened a store locally,
and although I'm aware it's sort of tea for the masses and very much
a corporate/sales vibe (the sales-people are always pretending
to know A LOT about tea, and how incredible their tea is - and they often
spout inaccurate info, but when gently corrected, they just keep going. But
Teavana is a bit of bright light in an otherwise dreary, coffee dominated market
where often tea is of questionable quality (a plug for Peets here - the 1st step on my journey into Tea; TY Peets! Good tea for starters). Teavana does have some good quality tea - but also some kitchy, 'hypey', 'sales-y' stuff (like the plastic "perfect tea maker' that they use exclusively to make tea; with this thing, if you order gyokuro, or silver needle, it's likely to taste like several of the tea's brewed in it previously - I had this experience and didn't appreciate the price tag for my tea, and that my gyokuro tasted like hibuscus, orange peel, mango, etc.).
However, taken home and brewed correctly, I enjoy their Gyokuro, it's the most consistently 'buttery' and easily attainable. Okay, enough of my Teavana rant!:oops:
Anyway, I thought I'd try their matcha. $16 for 20g.
Didn't like it. Bitter, sort of heavy, some kind of muddy flavor/energy.
I'll attempt brewing at some different temperatures and also play with the
powder:water ratio before deciding what to do with it besides matcha drinking.
Thank god I just acquired some Waku, and will revel in the imbibing of its delightful elixir this morning.
Praise Tea!
I await matcha news?
I thought you mentioned some new matcha's on the way?
Have they arrived?
What are they/where from?
And most importantly, How are they?
On my end, I just discovered that Teavana opened a store locally,
and although I'm aware it's sort of tea for the masses and very much
a corporate/sales vibe (the sales-people are always pretending
to know A LOT about tea, and how incredible their tea is - and they often
spout inaccurate info, but when gently corrected, they just keep going. But
Teavana is a bit of bright light in an otherwise dreary, coffee dominated market
where often tea is of questionable quality (a plug for Peets here - the 1st step on my journey into Tea; TY Peets! Good tea for starters). Teavana does have some good quality tea - but also some kitchy, 'hypey', 'sales-y' stuff (like the plastic "perfect tea maker' that they use exclusively to make tea; with this thing, if you order gyokuro, or silver needle, it's likely to taste like several of the tea's brewed in it previously - I had this experience and didn't appreciate the price tag for my tea, and that my gyokuro tasted like hibuscus, orange peel, mango, etc.).
However, taken home and brewed correctly, I enjoy their Gyokuro, it's the most consistently 'buttery' and easily attainable. Okay, enough of my Teavana rant!:oops:
Anyway, I thought I'd try their matcha. $16 for 20g.
Didn't like it. Bitter, sort of heavy, some kind of muddy flavor/energy.
I'll attempt brewing at some different temperatures and also play with the
powder:water ratio before deciding what to do with it besides matcha drinking.
Thank god I just acquired some Waku, and will revel in the imbibing of its delightful elixir this morning.
Praise Tea!
Alas, they have not arrived yet! Two new ones from Yuuki-Cha:
Organic Uji Matcha Tenkei Tori
Organic Uji Matcha Yuuki Midori
(BTW: Yuuki-Cha is having a 10% off all items for the month of July!)
And I still have an unopened Lupicia, that I can't seem to find.
As I have said before Teavana is great for teaware and
accessories and if you know what you are doing you might pick
up some decent tea there, but of course most people don't know
what they are doing, thus the problem.
.
Organic Uji Matcha Tenkei Tori
Organic Uji Matcha Yuuki Midori
(BTW: Yuuki-Cha is having a 10% off all items for the month of July!)
And I still have an unopened Lupicia, that I can't seem to find.
As I have said before Teavana is great for teaware and
accessories and if you know what you are doing you might pick
up some decent tea there, but of course most people don't know
what they are doing, thus the problem.
.
Recently received from Ippodo some Wakamatsu - and love it!
Here are some pics (sorry no whisked - got inspired after drinking my matcha!
).
(That bit of saran wrap is my addition for effective sealing).
and a closeup...
and how I store - vacuum sealed ...
I really like this matcha! Very similar to the Waku - essences/aromas of chocolate, and a mellow sweetness. No bitterness. Smooth. Really lovely.
Two thumbs up!
Hey Victoria - did you get your Yuuki order? How u like?
Cheers.
Here are some pics (sorry no whisked - got inspired after drinking my matcha!
).(That bit of saran wrap is my addition for effective sealing).
and a closeup...
and how I store - vacuum sealed
...I really like this matcha! Very similar to the Waku - essences/aromas of chocolate, and a mellow sweetness. No bitterness. Smooth. Really lovely.
Two thumbs up!
Hey Victoria - did you get your Yuuki order? How u like?
Cheers.
Well, I just had a bowl of Ippodo Wakamatsu, followed by a bowl of O-Cha's Kiri no mori. Hands down I prefer the Wakamatsu. I found none of the pleasant, sweet, soft, silky chocolaty aromas either as I sifted nor as I drank the Kiri that I find so clearly in both the Wakamatsu and the Waku.
I find the Kiri to be sort of darkly grassy, austere (if I may), and veiny (by which I mean to suggest my imagining that though it doesn't taste 'stemmy' it tastes perhaps 'substemmy' or the vein of the leaf - I hope you'll pardon my sloppy wordsmithy here).
I don't dislike the Kiri, but I clearly prefer the Wakamatsu and the Waku.
Words/descriptors/images that arise for me are:
Waka & Waku - fanciful, elegant, floating clouds, silky, colorful.
Kiri - serious, hard working, darkish, earth, terroir, stone-y/mineral-y.
Bless the tea.
Peace.
I find the Kiri to be sort of darkly grassy, austere (if I may), and veiny (by which I mean to suggest my imagining that though it doesn't taste 'stemmy' it tastes perhaps 'substemmy' or the vein of the leaf - I hope you'll pardon my sloppy wordsmithy here).
I don't dislike the Kiri, but I clearly prefer the Wakamatsu and the Waku.
Words/descriptors/images that arise for me are:
Waka & Waku - fanciful, elegant, floating clouds, silky, colorful.
Kiri - serious, hard working, darkish, earth, terroir, stone-y/mineral-y.
Bless the tea.
Peace.