Green Tea Forum

spacesamurai · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 204

Over the past few months, I have been getting more into green tea, and it seems to me that Japanese green tends to have a richer, fuller flavor than Chinese green tea.

I was hoping that the kind folks here could help me out, because I don't know what all the different Japanese words mean or refer to. Words like Kabusecha, Yutaki, Midori, Fukamushi, and what not.

Chip, I know you're out there. Help.

syntheticpanda · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 198

Fukamushi means deep-steamed. I think fukamushi sencha is steamed about 2 or 3 times longer than regular (is it "chumushi?") sencha.

I think kabusecha, or kabuse cha, simply means "covered tea," but I'm not entirely sure. Kabusecha is somewhere between gyokuro and sencha in terms of shading.

I have no idea what the other terms could mean, but Kevin or Chip must be around somewhere...

Kevangogh · Forum God Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 926 Location: Japan

Kabusecha is covered by about 45% shade for 2 weeks. It really comes much closer to sencha than it does gyokuro. For sure, you should never try to brew it like gyokuro.

The "kabuseru" is a verb that means to cover something.

Chip · Posted: Apr 11, 2007 1:15 am Post subject:

Hello to some old TeaChat amigos,

I like Chinese green tea, but I really love Japanese green tea. So, Although I have so much to learn, I dived head first in to it. This forum is a great resourse. Chinese green is a mellow experience while sencha is mind blowing. Just make sure you get it fresh right from Japan. O-Cha, our host ships direct from Japan, very cool. There are few things in life worse than bad sencha or sencha that is not fresh. Rolling Eyes

Yes, fukamushi means deep steamed. The leaf of this tea will generally consist of finer particles and will brew much faster than regular steamed, It also will brew up a richer flavored cup. I really like fukamushi. There is light steamed, mid steamed, and then fukamushi.

Kabuse cha is sencha that has been covered for a short period of maybe around 5-14 days before harvesting. It has a unique flavor and usually lacks the grassiness of some sencha thus revealing sweetness and other flavor characterisctics that may have been hidden. I think it is more mellow than traditional sencha. Gyokuro is covered longer before harvest, around 20 days I believe, will typically use different special clones that are used for gyokuro only and is aged after processing, 3-6 months. Some Gyokuro is aged much longer. Kabusecha uses regular sencha clones and is not aged after harvesting.

Yutaki midori, well, Kevin will need to clarify. I have read that it is literally translated 'richly green'...but I also read that it is a special clone of tea plant...maybe it is both. Whatever the case, if you have not tried Yutaki Midori, DO. It is great. I really like Kagoshima tea, and this is the best example I have tried.

Space, are you finally using those kyuusu you were showing off??? Any other terms you need help with, ask away.

spacesamurai · 2nd Degree Black Belt Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 204

Yeah, Chip, you could not part me from my kyusu.

Thanks for the fast response, everyone!

Ryan · Sensei Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 475

Also, I think a major reason that Japanese tea is generally more intense than Chinese green tea is the way it is processed. Chinese green tea is pan fried. Apparently, this results in the tea extracting its flavor in a different fashion. With Japanese green tea which is steamed, the flavor seems to come out of the leaf more quickly and with greater gusto.

Personally, I drink significantly more Japanese green tea because I find it to rate the highest to my liking.

streetspirit · Posted: Apr 18, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject:

From my limited experience so far the japanese sencha I've tried are more aromatic and grassy, but you notice a definite dropoff after the first infusion. The chinese greens seem to give up more even infusions, and are less grassy and more floral.

Personally I like the grassiness of Japanese sencha, but others seem to view it as a negative. I made a batch of the Miyabi to a vietnamese friend of mine who is used to drinking black tea. He took one smell and would not even drink a sip!