Around two weeks ago now my arrival of two shincha teas arrived from Japan (see previous post for definition of shincha). It was a 30th birthday purchase (my first online purchase infact - although my wife has bought a number of things for me online before). The teas were purchased as a gift set, packaged in two wonderful tins. Click the link below to see the company's ad for this gift set:
http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/Green-Tea-Gift-Set-pr-16268.html
The teas are fantastic! One is a Miyabi sencha from the Uji region (near Kyoto) which is Japan's oldest and most regarded tea growing area. This sencha is among the finest money can buy. It has an intense aroma and a strong grassy taste, producing a strong green colour in the cup.
The other tea is a Yutaka Midori sencha from the Kagoshima prefecture (near the southern tip of Japan). It is slightly less astringent in taste and darker in colour than the the Miyabi, but I find both teas to be quite similar in terms of the fresh, grassiness of their flavour and natural sweetness which lingers long after the drink is finished.
You still have a chance to get hold of these two shinchas, and I heartily recommend doing so. Don't forget to reduce the brewing time to around 1 1/2 minutes for both teas to avoid any bitterness.
Until next post,
Happy gongfucha!
