Japanese Matcha

Japanese Tea.  Usually this means green tea of some kind but why is it so special?  Honestly, it is because the Japanese have come up with several different ways to process their little Camellia sinensis plant.

Like typical green tea, it is the least oxidized of all of the teas.  Japanese green teas are also steamed so that they can maintain their bright green color.  Then they’re prepared several different ways.

Sencha is the most popular green tea in Japan.  It is harvested in the early season.  It is created by grinding the tea leaves.  It represents about 80 percent of the tea produced in Japan.

Gyokuro is a high grade of green tea that is grown in the shade.  In fact, it is actually grown in the shade for at least twenty days.  There is actually a different type of green tea that is grown in the shade known as kabusecha.  This type of tea differs from Gyokuro only because it is shaded for approximately a week.

Matcha is the well known green tea powder.  The leaves are steamed, dried and then ground into powder.  This is the tea that mostly used in traditional Japanese Tea ceremonies.  Today matcha is also used to flavor and dye foods like mocha, soba noodles, green tea ice cream and a variety of Wagashi (Japanese confectionery).

Hojicha is made by roasting the green tea leaves unlike most Japanese green teas that are steamed.  The tea leaves are fired at a high temperature which alters the leaf color from green to reddish brown.

Genmaicha is a blend of green tea leaves and popped rice.  It is also known as popcorn tea because a few grains of the rice pop during the roasting process.  This type of tea was normally drunk by poor Japanese farmers because the rice acted as a filler for and reduced the price of the tea.

Bancha is a tea made from the leaves picked in the late summer.  That’s about all the difference between Bancha and Sencha.

What about you, dear readers? Have you tried the different Japanese green teas?  If so, what do you think? Which ones are your favorites?

Today’s cup is a Sen Cha (Sencha) from Sugimoto USA.

This lightly grassy green tea grows up nice and comfortable. The pyramid sachet is used well here with nice sized leaves allowed to unfurl properly.

The aroma is grassy with a hint of spinach and artichoke. The flavor holds a mystery akin to fresh leeks.

Morning Cup #34

What’s in your cup?

Wednesday is Green Tea, White Tea, Rooibos, Oolong and Tisane (Herbal) Review Day!

I’ve  been on a fruit kick recently. I bought a big container of grapefruit. I’ve been eating apples constantly. And There’s this Pineapple Guava Green Tea from 52teas to close the chapter out!

Frank has done it again! This amazingly well balanced green tea is made of medium length leaves darker green like a gyokuro or a dark sencha. There are some stems but mostly I noticed guava chunks and pineapple bits mixed in.

This tea brews to a light pineapple yellow with a light orange tinge and is fragrant… mostly smelling of smooth guava scents with some subtle sencha notes.

The flavor is almost opposite the aroma providing heavy pineapple flavors but decidedly less on the guava. This tea is clearly a sencha though, with light vegetal notes and a typical green tea tail.

I would easily recommend this tea from 52teas to fans of either of its included tropical fruits. It’s a smooth and easy drink which certainly just adds to the enjoyment.

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Wednesday is Green Tea, White Tea, Rooibos, Oolong and Tisane (Herbal) Review Day!

Some days you want something strong in your cup, some days you want something light. This Niagara Peach Sencha from Tropical Tea Co. is certainly of the light variety.

It’s true. Some days you just need something lighter. Maybe because your palate has had a bit much to do lateley or perhaps it’s just one of those days. I can’t imagine wanting a tea this light though.

This Niagara Peach Sencha from Tropical Tea Co. was sent to me as a sample in a plain Ziploc baggie folded up inside a standard A10 envelope. That certainly didn’t help the freshness of the flavor profile.

To be fair, I don’t believe that’s how they typically dispatch teas to their customers. Regardless I don’t think it impacted the flavor or aroma of this tea well.

The Niagara Peach Sencha is a Chinese made Japanese style Sencha. It’s made up of very thin green leaves and a great deal of dust. Though that could have been f rom the bumpy ride with the USPS. The company deascibes the tea as having jasmine petals but I didn’t see any of those.

This brews to a nice bright yellow-green liquor (color), which is certainly very inviting to the senses.

The aroma has extremely light notes of peach and notes of an average to mild strength slightly vegetal green tea. Not so grassy, more like light spinach.

The flavor is a little nicer. Notes of sour peach with a strong sencha in the steep. Nicely balanced between vegetal and grassy tones. There’s a hint of some fruity sweetness in here too, but I had to really dig for it.

This tea was not very bold at all. There’s almost no tail to speak of and it’s extremely sweet for a Sencha.

While this tea get’s a relatively low aroma rating it’s flavor does an about face and surprises with a fuller profile. It’s lack of body/boldness holds this tea back from being something really noteworthy. Regardless, this tea is worth a try. My experience could be different from yours.

I would recommend this tea for fans of fruity teas, or light/sweet teas. It’s not strong enough to be iced and still retain flavor though, so deffinitely drink it hot.

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Wednesday is Green Tea, White Tea, Rooibos, Oolong and Tisane (Herbal) Review Day!

Japanese Sencha has many a style and flavor profile. Some are very grassy and bold. Others are light and sweet. One of my all-time favorites is the Yanagi style sencha which many say resembles the “needle” like leaves of the willow tree. Leading to it’s nickname “willow tea.”

The loose dry leaves of this Yanagi style sencha from Harney & Sons are extremely thin, needle-like leaves which very closely resemble those of a willow tree, thus leading to this tea’s nickname of “willow tea.” The liquor (color) brews a very very light green, almost clear.

The Yanagi style sencha has a lightly grassy aroma, notes of a subtle sweetness and a hint of something which reminds me of morning dew. Although, that could be my mind making me think of willows, which are one of my favorite trees which just so happen to grow in areas which you’ll commonly find mist or dew.

Moving on. This tea’s flavor is very closely matched with its aroma. Lightly grassy, every so slightly vegetal and with a tail which hangs around a bit long for such a light green tea. I often find myself pausing a bit longer between sips just to savor this tea’s extra subtleties protracted by the finish.

I would recommend this Japanese green tea to fans of lighter Chinese greens such as a Pi Lo Chun. Also fans of any Sencha should find this tea a refreshing alteration from their normally stronger routine.