Tea Master Allan Halyk hosted a chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony) on Saturday at Chado - The Way of Tea. Allan began with an explanation of his background and study of tea (including studying under a tea sensei in Melbourne to gain his tea mastership, under the Urasenke tea school (originating from Sen no Rikyu in the 15th Century). Allan then performed chanoyu (usucha - thin tea) for one of the dozen guests present.
The matcha served was absolutely wonderful - brilliant jade colour, thick layer of foam and an intense, grassy, yet perfectly balanced sweetness. Japanese snacks were also served, including sushi and mochi (red-bean-filled rice cake with black sesame seed coating).
Watching Allan perform chanoyu was among other things, incredibly relaxing. His composure, eloquence and serenity made it a most enjoyable occasion.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Chinese Green Tea New Harvest Tea Tasting Event
Last Saturday, Varuni from Chado Teahouse (Hobart) hosted a Chinese New Harvest Green Tea Tasting Event. Using gongfu (gaiwan) tea service, a dozen of us were treated to an afternoon of sampling some of the finest new-harvest teas available. After beginning with an introductory tea of Reserve Grade Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle), we were served the following:
1. Anji Bai Cha (An Ji County, Zhejiang)
2. Dong Ting Pi Lo Chun (Dong ting, Jiangsu)
3. Valley Peak Da Fang (Huang Shan, Anhui)
4. Huang Shan Mao Feng (Huang Shan, Anhui)
5. Tai Ping Hou Kui (Taiping, Hubei)
6. En Shi Jade Dew (En Shi City, Hubei)
7. Green Bamboo Leaf (E Mei Shan, Sichuan)
8. Mount Meng Sweet Dew (Meng Shan, Sichuan)
9. Xu Fu Dragon Tooth (Yi Bin City, Sichuan)
10. West Lake Imperial Dragonwell (West Lake, Zhejiang)
11. Wuyi Shan Green (Wuyi Shan, Fujian)
12. Organic White Monkey (Taimu Shan, Fujian)
13. Purple Bamboo Shoot (Chang Xing, Zhejiang)
It was at once a relaxing and informative time - a group of people with various degrees of tea experience all sharing their enjoyment of some quite amazing teas- a splendid way to spend three hours!
1. Anji Bai Cha (An Ji County, Zhejiang)
2. Dong Ting Pi Lo Chun (Dong ting, Jiangsu)
3. Valley Peak Da Fang (Huang Shan, Anhui)
4. Huang Shan Mao Feng (Huang Shan, Anhui)
5. Tai Ping Hou Kui (Taiping, Hubei)
6. En Shi Jade Dew (En Shi City, Hubei)
7. Green Bamboo Leaf (E Mei Shan, Sichuan)
8. Mount Meng Sweet Dew (Meng Shan, Sichuan)
9. Xu Fu Dragon Tooth (Yi Bin City, Sichuan)
10. West Lake Imperial Dragonwell (West Lake, Zhejiang)
11. Wuyi Shan Green (Wuyi Shan, Fujian)
12. Organic White Monkey (Taimu Shan, Fujian)
13. Purple Bamboo Shoot (Chang Xing, Zhejiang)
It was at once a relaxing and informative time - a group of people with various degrees of tea experience all sharing their enjoyment of some quite amazing teas- a splendid way to spend three hours!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
CHADO: The Way of Tea
Finally! A wonderful teahouse has opened up in Hobart called "Chado: The Way of Tea". The owner, Varuni Kulasekera, is both immensely knowledgable on all things tea and wonderfully hospitable to boot. She and her husband (ex-Violent Femmes bassist and now shakuhachi player, Brian Ritchie) have made a sea-change from New York to Hobart Town. The teahouse stocks a wide selection of fantastic teas, with the dozens I've sampled thus far have been of exceptional quality. It also sells a great range of tea accessories, including numerous teapot styles, Japanese tea ceremony items (chasen, chawan, chashaku etc), gaiwan, gongfu service equipment, tea cannisters and much more. It is such a wonderful place to spend a good hour or so, enjoying multiple infusions of exceptional tea and chatting with Varuni or one of the staff on all things tea. They also prepare some tasty treats to accompany the tea, including onigiri (the bonito variety is my personal favourite)!
If you're ever in Hobart, get yourself along and enjoy a tea or two. The number of friends I've thus far dragged along have all been highly impressed with the service, the food and the tea.
Signing off to make myself one now... a Superior Tieguanyin methinks...
If you're ever in Hobart, get yourself along and enjoy a tea or two. The number of friends I've thus far dragged along have all been highly impressed with the service, the food and the tea.
Signing off to make myself one now... a Superior Tieguanyin methinks...
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Shincha and Mattcha from Hibiki-an
It has arrived! After a brief stop-over at Quarantine, the tea arrived on Friday. I am very pleased with this, my second purchase from Hibiki-an. The tea arrived inside Japanese-style wrapping paper and included within was a postcard from the company and two informative sheets on tea brewing and storage.
The Sencha Premium (shincha) came vacuum-packed in a foil-lined pouch and the Mattcha Premium (also vacuum-sealed in foil came in a delighful little container. I always look forward to that wonderfully grassy aroma when opening a packet of shincha. And this batch did not disappoint. It's deep, rich greeness was as evident in its scent as much as its appearance. I must admit my first brew was not overly successful (not enough leaf/too much water). By the time I realised it was too late to try to correct (as steepage time is crucial with shincha). So I simply resolved to consume (the still very drinkable) first brew, then try again. This time I took more care with measuring the tea, the water and the temperature, resulting in a fantastic brew. Watching the jade-green liquor in the cup as I poured this brew confirmed I had got it right this time. The natural sweetness tempered by the characteristic astringency is so well balanced (perhaps even more so than the previous year's harvest). The tea also holds up well to three infusions (and may perhaps handle a fourth if the correct water temperature is used throughout). In summary, another fine new season sencha from Hibiki-an!
This is the first mattcha I have purchased from Hibiki-an. As I opened the pouch inside the container, I was immediately struck by the intensity and brightness of the powder's colour - it is an almost flourescent light green. Getting some of the powder on my fingers while opening it, I tasted the tea straight on my tongue and could instantly tell that this was indeed a fine mattcha (which is all the more immpressive when one considers that they produce two mattcha's of even higher quality than this one). I prepared a chawan of this mattcha, using water at just over 70 degrees Celcius, whisking it vigourously with my chasen for around a minute, by which time a pleasant layer of froth had appeared on the tea's surface. My previous mattcha purchase was around seven dollars cheaper than this one (thought I'd see what an anonymous, lower-end-of-the scale mattcha tasted like), and the contrast between the two is phenomenal! When one breaks down the seven dollar difference across the entire number of bowls of mattcha can be made from a 40 gram container of the stuff, the few cents (or less) per bowl extra is more than worth it. The (never to be bought again) mattcha was so flat in colour and flavour, whilst this Hibiki-an mattcha has such a rich, intensely grassy flavour with a wonderful sweetness. The problem I face is that I want to enjoy this tea for longer than the three months it will remain fresh for, so must ensure that I don't let it get bad by 'keeping it for special occasions'. (I let this happen to the first mattcha I ever bought and ended up making mattcha icecream with it!) All this writing about tea is making me itchy to get to the kitchen and make a pot of one tea or another, so that's all for now.
The Sencha Premium (shincha) came vacuum-packed in a foil-lined pouch and the Mattcha Premium (also vacuum-sealed in foil came in a delighful little container. I always look forward to that wonderfully grassy aroma when opening a packet of shincha. And this batch did not disappoint. It's deep, rich greeness was as evident in its scent as much as its appearance. I must admit my first brew was not overly successful (not enough leaf/too much water). By the time I realised it was too late to try to correct (as steepage time is crucial with shincha). So I simply resolved to consume (the still very drinkable) first brew, then try again. This time I took more care with measuring the tea, the water and the temperature, resulting in a fantastic brew. Watching the jade-green liquor in the cup as I poured this brew confirmed I had got it right this time. The natural sweetness tempered by the characteristic astringency is so well balanced (perhaps even more so than the previous year's harvest). The tea also holds up well to three infusions (and may perhaps handle a fourth if the correct water temperature is used throughout). In summary, another fine new season sencha from Hibiki-an!
This is the first mattcha I have purchased from Hibiki-an. As I opened the pouch inside the container, I was immediately struck by the intensity and brightness of the powder's colour - it is an almost flourescent light green. Getting some of the powder on my fingers while opening it, I tasted the tea straight on my tongue and could instantly tell that this was indeed a fine mattcha (which is all the more immpressive when one considers that they produce two mattcha's of even higher quality than this one). I prepared a chawan of this mattcha, using water at just over 70 degrees Celcius, whisking it vigourously with my chasen for around a minute, by which time a pleasant layer of froth had appeared on the tea's surface. My previous mattcha purchase was around seven dollars cheaper than this one (thought I'd see what an anonymous, lower-end-of-the scale mattcha tasted like), and the contrast between the two is phenomenal! When one breaks down the seven dollar difference across the entire number of bowls of mattcha can be made from a 40 gram container of the stuff, the few cents (or less) per bowl extra is more than worth it. The (never to be bought again) mattcha was so flat in colour and flavour, whilst this Hibiki-an mattcha has such a rich, intensely grassy flavour with a wonderful sweetness. The problem I face is that I want to enjoy this tea for longer than the three months it will remain fresh for, so must ensure that I don't let it get bad by 'keeping it for special occasions'. (I let this happen to the first mattcha I ever bought and ended up making mattcha icecream with it!) All this writing about tea is making me itchy to get to the kitchen and make a pot of one tea or another, so that's all for now.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
New Tea Arrivals
I recently ordered three teas from the Tea Centre (http://www.theteacentre.com.au), my first purchase from this company. The tea they stocked which I was particularly interested in was a Yunnan Finest FOP (flowery orange pekoe). Their website described this tea as follows: This remarkable tea is littered with fine tips for a delicate yet full flavour. This indeed is a fair description. The appearance of the leaves is an intriguing caramel colour with plenty of tips throughout. It brews into a rich reddish colour in the cup, not dissimilar to a standard Yunnan, (I was expecting a much lighter liquor based on the colour of the leaf). It's aroma is suggestive of peaches and other stone fruits with some maltiness also evident. I was impressed with the depth of flavour and also its ability to maintain this depth through at least three infusions. Overall, a wonderful tea which has replaced Yunnan Golden Monkey as my current favourite black tea.
The second tea is a Chinese Green tea called Lin Yun White Downy. The leaves are slightly wrinkled in appearance and quite large, blended with white tips (as the name suggests). It is therefore quite a delicate tea but still displaying the characteristically unassuming astringency of a Chinese green tea. The website suggests it has a smoky flavour, although I could detect very little of this during my first sampling. I must brew another pot tonight and see what happens. It was a gentler tea than I anticipated, so will need to use more leaf and perhaps slightly hotter water (I used around 75 degrees Celcius the first time) in order to bring out its characteristics more fully. An enjoyable alternative to Long Jing (Dragonwell) or Gunpowder.
The final tea I ordered was a Formosa Fancy Oolong (Taiwan). This is described as a semi-fermented tea, neat leaf, aromatic & fragrant character. 'Fancy' refers to the grade of the tea (higher than 'choice'. This is a much smoother style of oolong than many of the Chinese oolongs I've had, perhaps slightly stronger than a 'green-style' Ti Kuan Yin, yet with a quite different taste altogether. It would be more accurate to describe it as a smoother version of a Wuyi Rock Oolong, because it definately appears more oxidised than most Ti Kuan Yin's I've tried. Like the Lin Yun tea, I was a bit over-cautious with the amount of tea and temperature of the water, so will try increasing both slightly and will expect the aromatic qualities to become more pronounced.
I'm very pleased with all three teas and will consider buying from this company again sometime. I am having difficulty finding an Australian online tea company who stocks the range of teas of the American companies like Uptons and CooksShopHere.
Looking forward to the imminent arrival of my Shincha and Mattcha purchases from Hibiki-an (http://www.hibiki-an.com), a Japanese, family owned tea farm (which I ordered from last year - see earlier post). I should have sampled and reviewed these in the next few days.
Until then,
Happy Gongfu-cha.
The second tea is a Chinese Green tea called Lin Yun White Downy. The leaves are slightly wrinkled in appearance and quite large, blended with white tips (as the name suggests). It is therefore quite a delicate tea but still displaying the characteristically unassuming astringency of a Chinese green tea. The website suggests it has a smoky flavour, although I could detect very little of this during my first sampling. I must brew another pot tonight and see what happens. It was a gentler tea than I anticipated, so will need to use more leaf and perhaps slightly hotter water (I used around 75 degrees Celcius the first time) in order to bring out its characteristics more fully. An enjoyable alternative to Long Jing (Dragonwell) or Gunpowder.
The final tea I ordered was a Formosa Fancy Oolong (Taiwan). This is described as a semi-fermented tea, neat leaf, aromatic & fragrant character. 'Fancy' refers to the grade of the tea (higher than 'choice'. This is a much smoother style of oolong than many of the Chinese oolongs I've had, perhaps slightly stronger than a 'green-style' Ti Kuan Yin, yet with a quite different taste altogether. It would be more accurate to describe it as a smoother version of a Wuyi Rock Oolong, because it definately appears more oxidised than most Ti Kuan Yin's I've tried. Like the Lin Yun tea, I was a bit over-cautious with the amount of tea and temperature of the water, so will try increasing both slightly and will expect the aromatic qualities to become more pronounced.
I'm very pleased with all three teas and will consider buying from this company again sometime. I am having difficulty finding an Australian online tea company who stocks the range of teas of the American companies like Uptons and CooksShopHere.
Looking forward to the imminent arrival of my Shincha and Mattcha purchases from Hibiki-an (http://www.hibiki-an.com), a Japanese, family owned tea farm (which I ordered from last year - see earlier post). I should have sampled and reviewed these in the next few days.
Until then,
Happy Gongfu-cha.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Yunnan Golden Monkey
Upon my latest visit to Jeffersons Tea shop, the purveyor drew my attention to a new tea which he had in stock by accident - a wrong delivery of Yunnan Golden Monkey. This tea gets its name from where it is grown (Yunnan province of China), the quality of the leaf (high percentage of gold tips and buds), and the original method of its harvesting (monkeys were used to pick the leaves of the large trees growing precariously on the side of mountains. The 'monkey' reference may also refer to the appearance of the leaf resembling the hair (or the claws) of the Golden Yunnan Monkey which is native to this area.
This tea is fantastic! The aroma has an amazingly sweet bouquet. The tea brews a lovely bright reddish-amber colour and the taste is a blend of Yunnan's unique pepperyness and a well rounded fruitiness with a hint of honey.
Yunnan Golden Monkey continues to brew well after three infusions, remaining clear in the cup and surprisingly bright in flavour. At this point in time, this tea is my favourite black tea. The search is now on for another to replace it!
This tea is fantastic! The aroma has an amazingly sweet bouquet. The tea brews a lovely bright reddish-amber colour and the taste is a blend of Yunnan's unique pepperyness and a well rounded fruitiness with a hint of honey.
Yunnan Golden Monkey continues to brew well after three infusions, remaining clear in the cup and surprisingly bright in flavour. At this point in time, this tea is my favourite black tea. The search is now on for another to replace it!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Dragonwell Tea (Long Jing / Lung Ching)
I have since found a Chinese Emporium in Hobart which sells Dragonwell tea. I am trying to consume my current Adelaide batch so that I am 'forced' to buy some. I am really enjoying the Dragonwell tea. It is perhaps one of the most well-balanced Chinese Green teas I have tried. It is smoother than a Gunpowder or Chun Mee, and yet deeper than the Monkey Green. I wonder how different the top of the range Dragonwell tea would be. Mmmm, must find out some time...
The origin of Dragonwell tea is rather fascinating. It is China’s most famous tea and has over a thousand year history and is referred to in the first ever tea book (Cha Ching) by Lu Yu in the Tang dynasty. Longjing comes from a small village on the Fenghuang Hill, in Hangzhou Zhengjiang Province. It is said that residents in ancient times believed that a dragon dwelt there and controlled the rainfall. This caused people to travel to this well from all the surrounding areas whenever there was a drought to pray for rainfall, from as early as the Three Kingdoms Period (221-280AD). The origin of this belief may be due to the fact that when rain water floats on the denser well water it makes shapes appear which resemble the movement of a dragon.
The origin of Dragonwell tea is rather fascinating. It is China’s most famous tea and has over a thousand year history and is referred to in the first ever tea book (Cha Ching) by Lu Yu in the Tang dynasty. Longjing comes from a small village on the Fenghuang Hill, in Hangzhou Zhengjiang Province. It is said that residents in ancient times believed that a dragon dwelt there and controlled the rainfall. This caused people to travel to this well from all the surrounding areas whenever there was a drought to pray for rainfall, from as early as the Three Kingdoms Period (221-280AD). The origin of this belief may be due to the fact that when rain water floats on the denser well water it makes shapes appear which resemble the movement of a dragon.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Adelaide Visit
I went to Adelaide a few weeks ago with my wife and sons to visit my brother and his wife. While over there I hunted around for some tea shops. I purchased tea from three different vendors.
The first teas I bought were a Dragonwell Green Tea aka Long Jing aka Lung Ching, and a Pu-erh tea.
The second venue was a tea-shop called "Kappy's & Wright Plantation Teas". Visiting this shop was an enjoyable experience. It had a relaxed feel, with friendly staff. The tables tops were made from Indian tea crates and along one wall was an extensive range of teas, covering a large number of varieties. From this shop I purchased two teas, a Margaret's Hope Autumnal Darjeeling and a Monkey Green Tea. The latter is a bud-rich, delicate green with a natural sweetness, making it a very pleasant drink.
The final tea purchase was made only minutes before leaving for the airport back home. It was from a lovely Chinese teahouse and homwares shop called Saldechin. Among the teas available for drinking or purchasing was a Baihou Yinzhen (Silver Needle) tea. Not seeing any on the shelf but having read that they stocked it, I enquired and was informed that some had just arrived but hadn't been packaged yet. Therefore I was able to purchase it in as fresh condition as possible. And upon making my first pot later that day (back in Hobart), I could tell why it was costlier than Pai Mu Tan. Silver Needle tea gets its name from the fact that it is made up completely of closed buds which have a silvery, downy and slightly pointy appearance. A wonderful drink, especially for evenings. The shop also sold cakes of aged pu-erh tea for around $75 each. I must return there some time for this purchase.
So, all in all, I was very happy with my tea-exploration of Adelaide. The Silver Needle (Baihou Yinzhen) and Monkey Green teas are both unavailable in Tasmania (as far as I'm aware) and so they have made fine additions to my tea collection.
The first teas I bought were a Dragonwell Green Tea aka Long Jing aka Lung Ching, and a Pu-erh tea.
The second venue was a tea-shop called "Kappy's & Wright Plantation Teas". Visiting this shop was an enjoyable experience. It had a relaxed feel, with friendly staff. The tables tops were made from Indian tea crates and along one wall was an extensive range of teas, covering a large number of varieties. From this shop I purchased two teas, a Margaret's Hope Autumnal Darjeeling and a Monkey Green Tea. The latter is a bud-rich, delicate green with a natural sweetness, making it a very pleasant drink.
The final tea purchase was made only minutes before leaving for the airport back home. It was from a lovely Chinese teahouse and homwares shop called Saldechin. Among the teas available for drinking or purchasing was a Baihou Yinzhen (Silver Needle) tea. Not seeing any on the shelf but having read that they stocked it, I enquired and was informed that some had just arrived but hadn't been packaged yet. Therefore I was able to purchase it in as fresh condition as possible. And upon making my first pot later that day (back in Hobart), I could tell why it was costlier than Pai Mu Tan. Silver Needle tea gets its name from the fact that it is made up completely of closed buds which have a silvery, downy and slightly pointy appearance. A wonderful drink, especially for evenings. The shop also sold cakes of aged pu-erh tea for around $75 each. I must return there some time for this purchase.
So, all in all, I was very happy with my tea-exploration of Adelaide. The Silver Needle (Baihou Yinzhen) and Monkey Green teas are both unavailable in Tasmania (as far as I'm aware) and so they have made fine additions to my tea collection.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Gyokuro and Shincha arrivals
A few weeks ago I ordered Gyokuro Premium and Shincha Tradional tea from http://www.hibiki-an.com/
Upon opening the packages the initial aroma revealed the teas' freshness and quality. As Hibiki-an is a family-owned company time and money was saved by buying directly from them, as the order was sent straight from the tea farm to my house. In the case of the shincha only days had passed between its picking and being in my teapot.
It has been interesting learning how to master the art of brewing Gyokuro and I have found 55 degrees Celcius seems to be the best temperature for this particular type.
More later...
Upon opening the packages the initial aroma revealed the teas' freshness and quality. As Hibiki-an is a family-owned company time and money was saved by buying directly from them, as the order was sent straight from the tea farm to my house. In the case of the shincha only days had passed between its picking and being in my teapot.
It has been interesting learning how to master the art of brewing Gyokuro and I have found 55 degrees Celcius seems to be the best temperature for this particular type.
More later...
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
One small step...
Well, I've managed to place one of the tea cards along the sidebar (under my profile). But have not as yet discovered how to insert it in the main body of the post. Will keep trying...
Tea Cards Complete!
Over the last few months I have been sporadically working on Tea Cards. They were initally intended to have very few words on each card to be used for a tea game. But as I went along I decided to make them more comprehensive (as much as cards can be at any rate). Thus the result is 33 cards, made up of three cards per variety and 3 cards on tea grading. Each card provides the following information:
- Type of Tea Variety
- Name of Tea (with its meaning in English)
- Country of Origin
- General Information - including historical and/or interesting facts
- Appearance - of both the leaf and the infusion
- Aroma
- Taste
- Brewing Instructions
- Information on Tea Type
- Card Number
The tea varieties represented are:
- Ceylon Teas
- Chinese White Teas
- Chinese Yellow Teas
- Chinese Green Teas
- Chinese Oolong Teas
- Chinese Black Teas
- Chinese Pu-erh Teas
- Indian Teas
- Japanese Teas
- Taiwanese Teas
And the last three cards have information on tea grading.
I would still like to create a game around these cards - my next project. But for the moment I am happy with the outcome. I aim to post these cards on the blog. Will have to figure out how to do this first, however.
Happy Gongfucha!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
SHINCHA ARRIVAL
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!
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!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
SENCHA
I've finally got around to writing the promised post on unwrapping a tea type in more depth. Over the last year or so I have become increasingly captivated by green teas, particularly those from Japan. One of my favourite green teas is Sencha, and it is this tea I want to 'unwrap' below.
WHAT IS SENCHA?
Sencha is the term for Japanese green tea that is grown in full sun, as distinct from gyokuro (which is grown in shade for up to 3 weeks), or genmai cha (which contains puffed brown rice) or matcha (which is made from finely ground gyokuro leaves and used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremonies). Sencha makes up around 75% of all Japanese tea production, and varies considerably in quality.
WHAT DOES SENCHA LOOK LIKE?
Sencha leaves are usually rather long and narrow in appearance with a colour ranging from pale to dark green. As a general rule the darker and more intense the colour, the better quality/fresher it is.
In the cup, sencha brews a light yellow to powerful green colour (again, the darker the better). After steeping, the leaves unfurl to a rather more roundish shape with a glossy green appearance.
WHAT DOES SENCHA SMELL LIKE?
Sencha leaves usually have a distinct grassy smell (if this is lacking it 'may' be a sign that tea is not fresh). Also, sencha often has a smell of the sea - that sea-weed beachiness that sets it apart from Chinese green teas.
WHAT DOES SENCHA TASTE LIKE?
I believe the marks of a good sencha is in the balance between its natural sweetness and its astringency. A fresh, fine quality sencha should be quite rebust in flavour, exhibiting it's grassiness without being bitter. When brewed correctly, the sweetness merges with this grassiness to make it such a memorable drink.
HOW DO I BREW SENCHA?
It is usually recommended to use 1 heaping teaspoon of sencha for every 250-300 mls of water. The water should be at around 80 Celcius (leave the water in the kettle for 3 minutes after boiling, then transfer water between pot and cups - thus also prewarming the tea vessels), and allow to steep for 1-2 minutes. Leaving any longer than 2 minutes will cause your brew to become bitter. For what it's worth, I tend to use more tea for my brew (1 heaping teaspoon for 200-250ml of water), and a slightly cooler water temperature (around 70-75 degrees - leave kettle for around 4 minutes before transferring to pot/cups). This results in a sweeter, smoother flavour. Also, it allows for better tasting second and third infusions as the tea leaves haven't been 'burnt' of their taste in the first infusion.
HOW DO I STORE SENCHA?
Like all teas, it is important to store sencha in an air-tight container away from light and heat. Doing so will leave your sencha reasonably fresh for up to a year - although you will notice a deterioration in taste already after a couple of months.
SOME REMARKS IN CONCLUSION...
If you haven't tried sencha before - you must! However, do ensure you purchase genuine sencha tea. Some Chinese companies market their tea as sencha, usually referring to it as 'Japanese-style '. This usually indicates that the tea has been processed using steaming rather than the usual Chinese pan-fry method - but does not guarantee the tea will resemble the true Japanese sencha tea in quality of appearance, aroma and taste.
Secondly, try to get as good and fresh a sencha as possible. Anything bought from a supermarket or general grocery store will be vastly inferior to sencha bought from a reputable tea-merchant. If possible, discover when the tea was harvested and from where. Uji is the oldest tea-growing area in Japan and is usually the source of the finest teas.
Thirdly, any tea-bag sencha will be of a rather dubious quality - usually the late season harvest and lower-grade leaves - resulting in a comparatively tasteless brew.
Fourthly, during May-July it is possible to buy Shincha tea ('shin=new, cha=tea). This is first harvest sencha which has only been slightly steamed. The result is a very aromatic and fresh tea. Due to its limited processing, shincha is a rather perishable tea which is why it is only available during the harvest months of May-July and should be consumed within three months (which in actuality is the 'best consumed within' period of most sencha tea).
Fifthly, if you find you are a little disappointed with your sencha experience upon your first attempt, don't despair. Two things are important to keep in mind. One, you will need to experiment with brewing times/amounts before you get it right. Two, like most extra special food and drink items, sencha tea is an acquired taste. Whilst some are hooked by the first cup, others will need a few drinks for their tastebuds to fully appreciate this unique flavour (especially if they are used to drinking black tea and perhaps subconsciously expecting a similar flavour).
I hope this has provided you with sufficient information to whet your appetite (or if you are a seasoned sencha drinker, confirmed what you already know) on sencha.
Until next post,
Happy gongfucha!
WHAT IS SENCHA?
Sencha is the term for Japanese green tea that is grown in full sun, as distinct from gyokuro (which is grown in shade for up to 3 weeks), or genmai cha (which contains puffed brown rice) or matcha (which is made from finely ground gyokuro leaves and used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremonies). Sencha makes up around 75% of all Japanese tea production, and varies considerably in quality.
WHAT DOES SENCHA LOOK LIKE?
Sencha leaves are usually rather long and narrow in appearance with a colour ranging from pale to dark green. As a general rule the darker and more intense the colour, the better quality/fresher it is.
In the cup, sencha brews a light yellow to powerful green colour (again, the darker the better). After steeping, the leaves unfurl to a rather more roundish shape with a glossy green appearance.
WHAT DOES SENCHA SMELL LIKE?
Sencha leaves usually have a distinct grassy smell (if this is lacking it 'may' be a sign that tea is not fresh). Also, sencha often has a smell of the sea - that sea-weed beachiness that sets it apart from Chinese green teas.
WHAT DOES SENCHA TASTE LIKE?
I believe the marks of a good sencha is in the balance between its natural sweetness and its astringency. A fresh, fine quality sencha should be quite rebust in flavour, exhibiting it's grassiness without being bitter. When brewed correctly, the sweetness merges with this grassiness to make it such a memorable drink.
HOW DO I BREW SENCHA?
It is usually recommended to use 1 heaping teaspoon of sencha for every 250-300 mls of water. The water should be at around 80 Celcius (leave the water in the kettle for 3 minutes after boiling, then transfer water between pot and cups - thus also prewarming the tea vessels), and allow to steep for 1-2 minutes. Leaving any longer than 2 minutes will cause your brew to become bitter. For what it's worth, I tend to use more tea for my brew (1 heaping teaspoon for 200-250ml of water), and a slightly cooler water temperature (around 70-75 degrees - leave kettle for around 4 minutes before transferring to pot/cups). This results in a sweeter, smoother flavour. Also, it allows for better tasting second and third infusions as the tea leaves haven't been 'burnt' of their taste in the first infusion.
HOW DO I STORE SENCHA?
Like all teas, it is important to store sencha in an air-tight container away from light and heat. Doing so will leave your sencha reasonably fresh for up to a year - although you will notice a deterioration in taste already after a couple of months.
SOME REMARKS IN CONCLUSION...
If you haven't tried sencha before - you must! However, do ensure you purchase genuine sencha tea. Some Chinese companies market their tea as sencha, usually referring to it as 'Japanese-style '. This usually indicates that the tea has been processed using steaming rather than the usual Chinese pan-fry method - but does not guarantee the tea will resemble the true Japanese sencha tea in quality of appearance, aroma and taste.
Secondly, try to get as good and fresh a sencha as possible. Anything bought from a supermarket or general grocery store will be vastly inferior to sencha bought from a reputable tea-merchant. If possible, discover when the tea was harvested and from where. Uji is the oldest tea-growing area in Japan and is usually the source of the finest teas.
Thirdly, any tea-bag sencha will be of a rather dubious quality - usually the late season harvest and lower-grade leaves - resulting in a comparatively tasteless brew.
Fourthly, during May-July it is possible to buy Shincha tea ('shin=new, cha=tea). This is first harvest sencha which has only been slightly steamed. The result is a very aromatic and fresh tea. Due to its limited processing, shincha is a rather perishable tea which is why it is only available during the harvest months of May-July and should be consumed within three months (which in actuality is the 'best consumed within' period of most sencha tea).
Fifthly, if you find you are a little disappointed with your sencha experience upon your first attempt, don't despair. Two things are important to keep in mind. One, you will need to experiment with brewing times/amounts before you get it right. Two, like most extra special food and drink items, sencha tea is an acquired taste. Whilst some are hooked by the first cup, others will need a few drinks for their tastebuds to fully appreciate this unique flavour (especially if they are used to drinking black tea and perhaps subconsciously expecting a similar flavour).
I hope this has provided you with sufficient information to whet your appetite (or if you are a seasoned sencha drinker, confirmed what you already know) on sencha.
Until next post,
Happy gongfucha!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Tea Varieties - The Chinese Six Colour System
Below is a brief introduction to the main tea varieties available. Understanding some of the processes involved in the various tea types is crucial for appreciating their different qualities, and preparing the teas appropriately.
I received a wonderful book on tea from my wife a few months ago called The Time of Tea by Dominique Pasqualini and Bruno Suet (translated from French). It has a very interesting section on tea classification and I drew heavily on this for the post below.
In the West, tea is often divided into three main types, based on their level of post-plucking fermentation:
1. Green (unfermented)
2. Oolong (semi-fermented)
3. Black (fully-fermented)
Although this is helpful, the Chinese recognise six tea families. They are not only classified based on fermentation levels, but also on their differing effects and the manner of drinking them:
1. White
2. Yellow
3. Green (lu)
4. Blue-Green (qing)
5. Red
6. Black
These can be further divided into triplets:
1. White, Yellow and Green (unfermented)
2. Blue-Green, Red and Black (fermented)
They can then be further classified into pairs based on leaf type and Processing method:
1. White/Yellow: only downy buds used. Only dried in sun.
2. Green/Blue-Green: buds and young, delicate leaves. Steamed or heated in pots.
3. Red/Black: adult leaves. Dried, crushed, fermented, fired.
These six teas can be generally defined as follows:
1. White Tea: made entirely of downy buds - Bai Mu Dan (Pai Mu Tan) "White Peony, or Yin Zhen "Silver Needles". The tea is immediately dried in the sun without other treatment. White tea come from rare genuine varieties, each with a world production of less than 300 kg. They produce a clear drink in the cup with a natural sweetness.
2. Yellow Tea: similar to white, except that they have undergone a form of light and stewed fermentation in a pan. Even rarer than white tea. Both white and yellow tea will keep for up to two years.
3. Green Tea: in their dry state, green teas have very different appearances. The buds and leaves are fragile and should be used from three months to a year. Fermentation is halted straight after plucking, either by steaming (Japanese preferred) or by heating in large copper pots (Chinese preferred). The most widely consumed tea variety in Asia and arguably the most diverse in flavour, in Japan, ranging from the coarse Bancha (particularly the "Kukicha" - stalks only variety) to the finest, spinach-green Gyokuro.
4. Green-Blue Tea: oolong (wulong) tea is fermented between 12 to 65 percent. Although one of the lesser known teas in the West, in China and Taiwan there are several thousand vintages, representing the largest range of teas. The dried leaves are dense gren with bluish reflections. Least fermented types, such as "Wen Shan Bao Zhong" have a fresh floral aroma, while the higher fermented oolongs, such as the "Bai Hao" or "Dan Cong" have a leathery aroma and a taste of muscat.
5. Red Tea: this is what the West know as black tea. It is reddish, amber or crimson in the cup and its aromas should be fruity, woody, sometimes chocolatey. It has a roundness in the mouth. It is fermented from 90 to 100 percent. Ceylon and Indian red teas (such as Assam) are usually darker and stronger in flavour than those from China (Keemun, Yunnan), although the Indian Darjeeling is an exception.
6. Black Tea: post-fermented tea; aged tea. Predominantly Pu Er or compressed tea. They are teas that have been given an extended period of fermentation, a method of maturation similar to that of wine for keeping. During this process, the tea completely loses its theine but gains in tannins and flavinols. Black tea has a smell of humus and undergrowth and is arguably drunk as much than for its physical effects and sensations than for its taste or aroma. Compressed tea (cake tea) often has an emblem impressed on it and was used as currency, marked sections being able to be broken off as required. Beware of cheap imitations such as "Tua Cha", with its rapid forced fermentation in factories and its blending with red tea!
In a future post I will unwrap these tea types in much more detail. I have been enjoying green teas a great deal of late (particulary Japanese Sencha) so that may have to be one of the first I'll address!
A brief (but hopefully concise) account of the history of tea will also be coming along some time soon.
Until then,
I received a wonderful book on tea from my wife a few months ago called The Time of Tea by Dominique Pasqualini and Bruno Suet (translated from French). It has a very interesting section on tea classification and I drew heavily on this for the post below.
In the West, tea is often divided into three main types, based on their level of post-plucking fermentation:
1. Green (unfermented)
2. Oolong (semi-fermented)
3. Black (fully-fermented)
Although this is helpful, the Chinese recognise six tea families. They are not only classified based on fermentation levels, but also on their differing effects and the manner of drinking them:
1. White
2. Yellow
3. Green (lu)
4. Blue-Green (qing)
5. Red
6. Black
These can be further divided into triplets:
1. White, Yellow and Green (unfermented)
2. Blue-Green, Red and Black (fermented)
They can then be further classified into pairs based on leaf type and Processing method:
1. White/Yellow: only downy buds used. Only dried in sun.
2. Green/Blue-Green: buds and young, delicate leaves. Steamed or heated in pots.
3. Red/Black: adult leaves. Dried, crushed, fermented, fired.
These six teas can be generally defined as follows:
1. White Tea: made entirely of downy buds - Bai Mu Dan (Pai Mu Tan) "White Peony, or Yin Zhen "Silver Needles". The tea is immediately dried in the sun without other treatment. White tea come from rare genuine varieties, each with a world production of less than 300 kg. They produce a clear drink in the cup with a natural sweetness.
2. Yellow Tea: similar to white, except that they have undergone a form of light and stewed fermentation in a pan. Even rarer than white tea. Both white and yellow tea will keep for up to two years.
3. Green Tea: in their dry state, green teas have very different appearances. The buds and leaves are fragile and should be used from three months to a year. Fermentation is halted straight after plucking, either by steaming (Japanese preferred) or by heating in large copper pots (Chinese preferred). The most widely consumed tea variety in Asia and arguably the most diverse in flavour, in Japan, ranging from the coarse Bancha (particularly the "Kukicha" - stalks only variety) to the finest, spinach-green Gyokuro.
4. Green-Blue Tea: oolong (wulong) tea is fermented between 12 to 65 percent. Although one of the lesser known teas in the West, in China and Taiwan there are several thousand vintages, representing the largest range of teas. The dried leaves are dense gren with bluish reflections. Least fermented types, such as "Wen Shan Bao Zhong" have a fresh floral aroma, while the higher fermented oolongs, such as the "Bai Hao" or "Dan Cong" have a leathery aroma and a taste of muscat.
5. Red Tea: this is what the West know as black tea. It is reddish, amber or crimson in the cup and its aromas should be fruity, woody, sometimes chocolatey. It has a roundness in the mouth. It is fermented from 90 to 100 percent. Ceylon and Indian red teas (such as Assam) are usually darker and stronger in flavour than those from China (Keemun, Yunnan), although the Indian Darjeeling is an exception.
6. Black Tea: post-fermented tea; aged tea. Predominantly Pu Er or compressed tea. They are teas that have been given an extended period of fermentation, a method of maturation similar to that of wine for keeping. During this process, the tea completely loses its theine but gains in tannins and flavinols. Black tea has a smell of humus and undergrowth and is arguably drunk as much than for its physical effects and sensations than for its taste or aroma. Compressed tea (cake tea) often has an emblem impressed on it and was used as currency, marked sections being able to be broken off as required. Beware of cheap imitations such as "Tua Cha", with its rapid forced fermentation in factories and its blending with red tea!
---------------
In a future post I will unwrap these tea types in much more detail. I have been enjoying green teas a great deal of late (particulary Japanese Sencha) so that may have to be one of the first I'll address!
A brief (but hopefully concise) account of the history of tea will also be coming along some time soon.
Until then,
Happy gongfucha!
Welcome to A Pot of Tea - a site for all things tea
Hello and welcome to my first ever blog post!
I intend to use this blog to share one of my favourite pastimes - exploring, preparing and drinking tea (camellia sinensis).
I hope you find this blog of interest and I invite anyone passing through to stop in for a cuppa and contribute to this site.
Happy gongfucha!
I intend to use this blog to share one of my favourite pastimes - exploring, preparing and drinking tea (camellia sinensis).
I hope you find this blog of interest and I invite anyone passing through to stop in for a cuppa and contribute to this site.
Happy gongfucha!
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