Xell, Zenhodo, Japanese green tea and teaware

[Xell]

Hakoniwado can be translated as miniature garden (in a box). Hope customers will get this feeling when opening and drinking our tea
I only started to work with tea and it's still didn't go much further than addition to hobby, thought i'm working in a direction where i could somewhere in future move completely to tea business. For now i'm gaining experience and learning from a local tea shop owner, who has his own shop for about 30 years and using his stock for my own shop.

I'm offering tea from most south tea growing regions Yame and Ureshino. And few Tokoname kyusu.

Until april 25 it's possible to pre-order special edition Yame shincha, it will be ready to ship 1-7 may. Everything else will be replaced by 2011 crop at the end of may or beginning of june.

http://www.zenhodo.com

[tortoise]

Good luck, Xell!

[Xell]

Good luck, Xell!

Thanks, especially now i will need a lot of luck. Radioactive panic is actually quite strong

[Tead Off]

Good luck, Xell!

Thanks, especially now i will need a lot of luck. Radioactive panic is actually quite strong

Krypto cha, the anti-radioactive tea, a best seller!

Best Of Luck,

Tead Off

[karmaplace]

Can you point out which of the selections are light-steamed? Or give a recommendation?

[Xell]

Can you point out which of the selections are light-steamed? Or give a recommendation?

Most likely Ureshino sencha's are light steamed. Why i didn't write it yet, i'm not 100% sure that it's not middle steamed When i asked about steaming, i was told that it's "usual way" and how i understand, it's asamushi or light steamed, most common for him. Going to clarify this soon to avoid confusion.

What i can say about taste, Yame sencha's have more round and softer taste and leaves have somehow stronger aroma, feels like gyokuro a bit. Ureshino has more grassy or floral taste, can't really explain, i'm picking up a lot of different notes.

[karmaplace]

Let me know when you get the steaming clarified.

[Chip]

I believe a lot of the Ureshino "sencha" in general are tamaryokucha (guricha) and kamairicha. So the processing is different.

Some may be fully steamed, some may be a combo with pan firing.

[Xell]

Chip, thanks for pointing out, seems it was my fault - "lost in translation" Ureshino teas are steamed tamaryokucha (蒸製の玉緑茶). Soon i'll update webpage too with short story about why people in Ureshino use this method

Tea leaves look exactly like on photo here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamaryokucha

[teaisme]

nice canisters there

your packaging looks so familiar? Is it the same in japan (like taiwan), the bags are just sold empty and vendors put own stickers on them?

[Xell]

nice canisters there

your packaging looks so familiar? Is it the same in japan (like taiwan), the bags are just sold empty and vendors put own stickers on them?

Yes, vendors themselves pack tea, sealing machines aren't big. Shiny, fancy bags cost extra

[Chip]

Have just finished the 2010 Ureshino "Guricha" and Yame fukamushi ... and am still going throough the one Yame gyokuro.

The guricha is a very good value at this price point. Guricha is usually pretty reasonably priced. This had a lot of flavor and sure beats any bancha which can easily cost as much or more than this guri. Nice veggie tones with a hint of fruit and cocoa in the aroma. Fairly complex for a guri.

The Yame fukamushi was not toooo deeply steamed and would probably appeal to a wide range of tastes. I think this might be chumushi based on leaf appearance and also liquor color. It can be brewed mellow or full throttle by simply using more leaf.

The Yame gyo, not the top grade offering, brewed well at a 1.5:1 grams leaf to ounces water ratio. So, brewed it at 4.5 grams for 3 ounces (90 ml) water. I think this can be brewed at 1:1 and create a nice sweet mellow cup. At 1.5:1, it still was nice and rich, sweet and potent.

[Xell]

Thanks for review, Chip.

Some news, Yame and Ureshino shincha 2011 are available now. I was told that Ureshino shincha will be available only for 3-4weeks at most.

In several days i also will add Yame matcha, soon will go for tasting No details yet, but looks like it will be 2 types, 20g per can.

[Xell]

Added matcha kits for beginners, chawan, chasen, chasaku, chasen holder and of course matcha itself.
http://japantea.org/beginners_kits

[Xell]

Just uploaded few more kyusu and first yunomi's. One yunomi is from Hokujo Shimizu.