brewing sencha

[odarwin]

hi guys,

im not sure if this topic is better to be here or in the green tea section, but here it goes...


im new to japanese green teas, and ive recently started with sencha.
i was just wondering what you guys are using mostly to brew your sencha?

im using a banko teapot that i got from hojo, and so far its ok. i really cant say much since i dont have much experience...

does banko teapot also absorb the tea flavor in the beginning like yi xing teapots do? and how does banko teapots differ from tokoname teapots?

and browsing through some websites, i sometimes see teaware for "high end sencha and gyokuro" what does "high end" sencha mean? and are the sencha's that the "usual on line jap green tea" vendors sell are "high end"

thanks in advanced!

[olivierco]

For sencha, I use porcelain houhins or this little kyuusu.



I don't believe in tea improving, water modifying (or other commercial based allegations) brewing vessels for Japanese greens. If a sencha need some improvement or modification, it isn't "high end".

teaware for "high end sencha and gyokuro" what does "high end" sencha mean?

I quasi exclusively drink asamushi (light steamed) sencha so the answer wouldn't perhaps be the same for a fukamushi drinker.

Most of the time "teaware for high end sencha and gyokuro" are houhins.
As usually an high grade sencha is brewed at lower temperatures than a lesser grade sencha (see for instance the instructions give by zencha http://www.zencha.net/brewing.php), houhins are adequate to brew an high grade sencha but would be too hot to handle for lesser grades.

[odarwin]

thanks very much for your answer,

mind sharing some pics of your houhins?

is it safe to say that the "usual on line japanese tea vendor" actually sells premium or high end sencha for the more expensive senchas that they offer?

[olivierco]

thanks very much for your answer,
mind sharing some pics of your houhins?

Here are some of my houhins

is it safe to say that the "usual on line japanese tea vendor" actually sells premium or high end sencha for the more expensive senchas that they offer?

Yes; at least for the vendors I know.
I usually order from
ippodo (Kaboku)
tsuen (Ujibashi san no ma aka kirameki in its shincha version)
ocha (warashina, 7132)
zencha (sencha the ultimate)
hibiki an (I am not sure for their SP grade: I have just reordered a package, but their Pinnacle grade is quite good)

There are for sure better sencha but I am satisfied with this asamushi selection.

[shinobicha]

Hey odarwin,

Which houhin/pot did you get from hojo? Do you have a link to it on his website or a picture?

Have you tried any of his teas?

I am planning on getting a number of his Japanese greens, and it looks like I may need a new teapot soon, and have considered some of his lower end options, so that's why I ask.
Thanks!

[odarwin]

@olivierco, thanks for the pics and tea recommendations, i like the first houhin very much... im more into ceramics than hagi or those types of teaware and i do have a hard time looking for nice ones that are not too expensive. of course the plain white houhin is readily available on line, but im hoping for something more special that wont cost too much

@shinobic... here is the pic of the banko tea pot that i got from hojo...



i got 2 senchas so far from hojo, the hon yama heibizuka sencha and kawane zairai sencha, but ive only tried the hon yama heibizuka. i dont have much experience with sencha so i cant really make a good comparison, but so far it seems to be ok. it gives me 3 good infusions, and after that i feel that the tea is still decent but i know its over. it does have a nice balance of sweetness and astringency and stays for a while in the mouth. i use 70c water to brew by the way when i pour in 75c it starts to get bitter

[shinobicha]

Cool, thanks for including a picture!

I was considering one like that (not the exact one, but similar).
I look forward to trying his teas sometime. I was planning on getting those, the hebizuka sencha and zairai, along with perhaps the hebizuka gyokuro and nissaka sencha.

Thanks for sharing. Let us know how you like the zairai, too.

[bryan_drinks_tea]

odarwin!

Be careful with that handle.

I have that exact teapot as my office sencha making device and the dang handle blew/popped off when i was brewing with it. It's a pretty good pot when it's broken in, no pun intended. I've found that heavily steamed senchas clog that thing up fast so be careful with that too. i've oversteeped many a sencha because the tea wouldn't come out of the pot.

best,

Bryan

[odarwin]

thanks for the heads up bryan, did you contact your vendor and told them about it?

[edkrueger]

Magic Clay Fail!

[bryan_drinks_tea]

yep, I told them about it. They kinda shrugged, told me they would notify the maker, and returned me my money. I think I paid 38 bucks for it about 1.5 years ago.

[David R.]

Wonderful kyusu & hohin collection olivierco. Do you have good addresses for porcelain kyusu/hohin ? I mean, not plain white ones but much more like yours.

Thanks for sharing.

[olivierco]

Wonderful kyusu & hohin collection olivierco. Do you have good addresses for porcelain kyusu/hohin ? I mean, not plain white ones but much more like yours.

Thanks for sharing.

I found them on ebay.

If you don't have the patience to get one and you are prepared to pay more money (I would say twice as much at least) you should be able to get some from horraido: they have many houhin sets on their Japanese page.
http://www.kyoto-wel.com/shop/S81078/ic ... ry_code=15

[David R.]

Thanks a lot.

[odarwin]

is it still advisable to buy 2010 teas this time?

i have the assumption that japanese green teas (senchas and gyokuros) are best fresh. so is it safe to say that its not advisable to buy 2010 teas already as these are not as fresh as they are expected to be?

thanks in advanced!