Matcha Is Now On Parole

[beforewisdom]

About a year ago I bought my first can of matcha from the brand called Republic Of Tea.

I finished it about a month ago.

It took so long to finish it because I found the taste to be extremely bitter, like a bowl of boiled grass.

A matcha fan in an earlier thread implored me not to give up on matcha, stating that the matcha from Republic Of Tea was about the worst.

I ordered this matcha from Den's Tea, a Japanese tea importer with offices in California ( fast delievery )

• the powder was a much darker green
• the tea was a much darker green
• zero bitterness
• about the same price, before shipping
• came in a much more convenient container than RoT's standard tall cylinder

I have a weak sense of taste.

I use a tiny wooden spoon for matcha that I got with my bamboo matcha whisk. Even one of these spoons of RoT matcha was far too bitter for me.

I used two such spoonfuls for Den's Tea matcha. Hardly any taste registered on me. I am going to try cranking it up to 3 - 4 spoons on my next cup.

100% more drinkable than RoT's matcha.

I'm glad I took the risk on another can or I would have decided that matcha was just not my thing.

An enormous difference in quality.

[tenuki]

About a year ago I bought my first can of matcha from the brand called Republic Of Tea.

Didn't even have to read the rest of your post.

[Chip]

I love the acronym for their name ... RoT.

They were my "teavana" of sorts, my first heads first exploration into looseleaf tea. Mission accomplished and I quickly moved on.

[FlyedPiper]

My first matcha experience was at a local yuppie tea shop where the owner made it a point to show *how little* "matcha" was needed to make a brew. She took a pea sized amount of brownish green powder out of a large glass jar, put it in a tea cup, and mixed it with a fork and two or three ice cubes.

Tasted like B.O. smells.

[amaranto]

I ordered some from O-Cha that I still haven't tried. I need to get on it!

[MEversbergII]

Well, I now know where I'm getting my matcha from. Thanks for the suggestion

M.

[tenuki]

ippodo's matcha is also very good, even their 'low' grade. If you are feeling like treating yourself go for their matcha starter kit!

[amaranto]

That starter kit looks like a good deal.

[yalokinh]

hmm could it be possibly that some people taste bitterness more than others? like with broccoli, some people taste the bitterness, some don't.
I'm pretty immune to bitterness since I can munch on grapefruits like they were oranges, some people can't

[victoria3]

My first Matcha was from Chado Tea purchased at a disappointing tea occasion at the Japanese American Museum, Chado Tea Room in Los Angles, just before an interesting LA Tea Festival. Anywho, this matcha makes my heart race like mad, so I re-try it every few months with the same heart pounding results. I'm now adding it to boring senchas for a little pizazz. The next try was recently at a fun Waldorf School children's tea ceremony, too grassy in a mowed lawn grass kind of way without any sweet subtle over notes or complexity. So I haven't had my matcha moment yet, although I'm open to finding one that resonates ):

[victoria3]

hmm could it be possibly that some people taste bitterness more than others? like with broccoli, some people taste the bitterness, some don't.
I'm pretty immune to bitterness since I can munch on grapefruits like they were oranges, some people can't

I also love the sweet bitterness of Italian broccolini, now that is a balanced savory and sweet palate experience. I recently tried ground kelp tea, kombu, and really liked it a lot but am finding it difficult to find with no salt or extras added... Off topic, bitter is great when well balanced.

[yalokinh]

hmm could it be possibly that some people taste bitterness more than others? like with broccoli, some people taste the bitterness, some don't.
I'm pretty immune to bitterness since I can munch on grapefruits like they were oranges, some people can't

I also love the sweet bitterness of Italian broccolini, now that is a balanced savory and sweet palate experience. I recently tried ground kelp tea, kombu, and really liked it a lot but am finding it difficult to find with no salt or extras added... Off topic, bitter is great when well balanced.

Thats true.
You get used to having no sugar or salt, it just takes time. tried some chips the other day after several months without it and just couldn't eat it, had too much salt.