Japanese Tea Guide

[Winnie_ther_pu]

Hey all,

I wrote an article/guide on the topic of Japanese greens. Would love some feedback, especially from those less familiar with Japanese greens. Please visit the blog and let me know what you think

http://team-tea.com/2011/06/21/japanese ... -part-one/

[Chip]

I might move this topic to the blog topic ...

A few minor points, Japanese nouns are not pluralized by adding an "s" but more determined by the context. I received a suggestion from another member, a compromise, "-s" So sencha I may pluralize as sencha-s for clarity since we do not determine plural by context. This shows some respect to the Japanese language.

Also, there are other types beyond the 8 types listed, for instance Kamairicha (and related teas). Mecha (different from konacha).

Kukicha is regionally called Karigane.

Aracha has undergone processing up to the final sorting and quick roasting and packaging. But it is otherwise processed ... steamed, rolled, etc.

[Winnie_ther_pu]

I appreciate the feedback, but I would appreciate the comments more were it apparent that you had read the entire article. Many of the suggestions you give are already addressed. Further comments are very welcome, but much more useful to me and other readers if left on the blog page itself. Oh, and it is funny about the karigane comment, because the tea pictured was actually named such by my friend who makes it Thanks Chip!

[Winnie_ther_pu]

PS:

Japanese nouns are not pluralized by adding an "s"

by you. It is important to remember that language is an organic thing and when translating or borrowing from other languages the specifics of the grammar and syntax are mostly up to the speaker. There are no rules for language, only suggestions. As a fluent speaker of Japanese, I approve my usage

Translation is the art of failure.
Umberto Eco

[Chip]

I appreciate the feedback, but I would appreciate the comments more were it apparent that you had read the entire article.

You are welcome.

I did read your entire article, unless I am missing something. I did not see clarifications re my suggestions.

Since you asked for suggestions (though you did not clarify where you wanted suggestions), I offered them here. Simple as that. I figured you were seeking suggestions on how to make your article more ... precise.

One more for you, Shincha means literally new harvest, not first flush (though the celebration of shincha goes beyond this). Ichibancha means first flush. So while not all ichibancha is shincha, all shincha is ichibancha. Much ichiban is stored away as aracha and when it is pulled from storage, it is no longer considered shincha for various reasons, but is simply ichiban. While I am sure you understand the subtle differences, your readers seeking information likely will not when it comes to these subtle nuances.

[Winnie_ther_pu]

Chip, thanks!

Would love to hear from others, as well~. Again, comments on the page will be most useful to myself and others to see how the dialog around Japanese tea evolves.

[Chip]

Congratulations, your topic is the first in the new TeaBlog forum of TeaChat.

Good luck with your topic and blog. Obviously I ... enjoy Japanese greens very much.

[Winnie_ther_pu]

Swee~~~t. Bring it on. I also...enjoy Japanese greens very much.

[sherubtse]

Kukicha is regionally called Karigane.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but is karigane limited to stems, etc. from gyokuro tea?

Thanks.

Best wishes,
sherubtse

[sherubtse]

A very good guide, though I would suggest that you incorporate Chip's suggestions, given above, asap.

Best wishes,
sherubtse

[Chip]

Kukicha is regionally called Karigane.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but is karigane limited to stems, etc. from gyokuro tea?

No, there can be sencha karigane. There can also be blends of sencha and gyokuro components in karigane. It is an interesting group.

[sherubtse]

Kukicha is regionally called Karigane.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but is karigane limited to stems, etc. from gyokuro tea?

No, there can be sencha karigane. There can also be blends of sencha and gyokuro components in karigane. It is an interesting group.

Thanks for the clarification, Chip.

You're right -- it is an interesting group. In fact, I find the whole area of Japanese teas to be quite fascinating!

Best wishes,
sherubtse

[AlexZorach]

This is an interesting page, in part because you cover some types of Japanese tea that are not typically covered in most articles on Japanese tea oriented towards Western audiences.

Your image of bancha is broken / missing.

It's also a bit non-standard to use the Kunrei romanization maccha...although it's perfectly valid, there's a pretty clear consensus around the spelling matcha so you might make a weird impression on people used to that spelling...unlike some Chinese teas like pai mu tan / bai mu dan, or even pouchong / bao zhong where there is less of a clear consensus.

[teaisme]

I still don't see any editing in kukicha section for karigane and shiraore.