Green Tea Forum

Oni · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 213

Dear Kevin and mainly o-cha, I would like for o-cha to specify the breed from which their teas are from, or at least the dominant breed like for example X is made of Yabukita melange, or Samidori, it would be a great help in finding our preffered tastes, and it would be good to specify with gyokuro the time of harvest (the year mainly). Your gyokuro section prides with teas from Tsuen teashop, they are not selling tea outside of Japan, so it is very attractive to try out classic gyokuro from Uji and from such a famous teashop, but I would like some Yame tea too.

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 916 Location: Japan

Hi,

Most of the teas are Yabukita variety. Yutaka Midori is of course Yutaka Midori variety.

There is only one gyokuro harvest per year, which occurs in the spring. However it is not released until around September as they age that a bit. So if you buy gyokuro right now, it's from 2007.

Regarding Yame, the thing you must keep in mind is that they grow green tea in lot of different prefectures in Japan, not just Shizuoka, Kyoto, Kagoshima, etc. My goal here is not to carry every prefecture, I mostly just go on the end product - whether it is of high quality or not. I could offer Yame gyokuro, but is it going to beat the stuff I carry from Uji? However, I am now considering some Yame green teas. If I find one that justifies carrying it, I will definitely introduce it. I'm waiting for samples now.

I'm looking into it...

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 916 Location: Japan

Regarding Shizuoka Sencha Hatsumi and Shizuoka Green Tea Daily Sencha, the daily sencha is the second harvest of Hatsumi. The plant is a mixture of 95% Yabukita and 5% Sayamakaori-Ooiwase indigenous breed.

Oni · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 213

Thank you for the reply. Not many sites deliver japanese tea from many regions, japanese sites usually deliver tea from one region and only a few farms.

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 916 Location: Japan

Otsusan, Fukamushi Supreme, Organic Kaze, Kirameki : 100% Yabukita

Gyokuro Yume no Ukihashi : Gokou and Yabukita blend, but mostly Gokou.

Gyokuro Fujitubo : Saemidori and Yabukita blend, but mostly Saemidori.

The exact ratio is proprietary information. They wouldn't give it, I don't even want to know.

I'm looking into Yame, but if the samples I get don't come close or beat the above two, then I won't carry it. Like I said, I don't care what prefecture a tea comes from - I go by the final product. I've tried many samples here (especially organic) which didn't cut it.