What is the deal with spring and sencha?

[beforewisdom]

Hi all,

I'm still a green tea noob, but I have been drinking sencha from O-Cha for a while.

What is the deal with spring and sencha? Is that when a new crop of sencha is harvested? Is that new crop better sencha than the rest of the year?

[Chip]

Shincha or new harvest occurs in the Spring. It is a celebration of new life, new tea, Spring.

Shincha tends to have a bolder ... greener taste. I jump on the Shincha bandwagon each year ... I tend to go overboard, ordering around 20 selections.

[mcrdotcom]

Shincha tends to have a bolder ... greener taste. I jump on the Shincha bandwagon each year ... I tend to go overboard, ordering around 20 selections.

Ive preordered 3 from O-Cha and I've already spent a bomb, I dare think of how much 20 must set you back :O

[chrl42]

earlier they get plucked, the quality gets better.

Younger leaves are less polluted, tender and delicate to later ones.

Leaves from higher altitude tends to gentler, less polluted (bugs don't leave on high altitude), less bitter etc..

hence the price always seems to go along with them.


But the difference also occurs when oxidation or fermentation is involved...

[William]

earlier they get plucked, the quality gets better.

So leaves harvested in April in a garden situated at 150m above sea level, will be better than leaves harvested in mid June in a garden situated at 900m above sea level?

(Both first harvest).

[chrl42]

earlier they get plucked, the quality gets better.

So leaves harvested in April in a garden situated at 150m above sea level, will be better than leaves harvested in mid June in a garden situated at 900m above sea level?

(Both first harvest).

depends on the situations, man..

[Chip]

Perhaps a better way to express this thought ...

All other things being equal, same tea field, etc. There is a peak time or new leaf maturity to pick a first flush harvest. Too soon, and the flavor will not be ... the best. Too late and the flavor will not be the best.

And for Japanese tea especially, this optimally picked first flush is by far the best and most desirable versus 2nd, 3rd, etc. harvests.

[gunbuster363]

Shincha is surprise. You will never know what you will be getting....we hope the shincha is good.