Green Tea Forum

Kuvimo · Uh, Can I Add Sugar? Joined: 20 Jul 2007 Posts: 2

I bought a huge bag of green tea, i had no idea about the types, i brought it home and went to search about tea types.
"Konacha" is written on the bag, i just hoping if it could be a Gyokuro, anyone got any idea what Konacha is? powdery and when brewed, i get a dark green color of a drink Confused

Chip · Posted: Jul 20, 2007 3:04 pm Post subject:

Welcome Kuvimo! I moved this topic to sencha so it will get more attention, and it is often a biproduct of sencha or gyokuro anyway.

Kono cha...usually a biproduct of either sencha or gyokuro production. This can be used in tea bags as well as slightly higher grades, but it is a biproduct tea and is generally inferior to higher quality sencha and gyokuro.

Instead of rolled, it is chopped and left as tiny flakes.

Interestingly, it can be brewed by simply placing a large amount of flakes in a strainer held above a teacup or pot. Simply pouring water through the leaves and strainer can give a good brew, and if done right, many steeps are possible.

It will never have the depth and complexity of a quality Japanese tea though.

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

You want to know what it really is? During the processing, tiny bits of green tea/dust are accumulated along the way, this is konacha. If you go to the factory you can see it on a small conveyor belt. Some will try to angle it to say it is the best but I hardly think so. That doesn't mean it's bad per se, but keep it in perspective. Konacha is also sometimes known as "agari" and is often served in sushi bars. While it can be good, it is basically a byproduct.

Kuvimo · Uh, Can I Add Sugar? Joined: 20 Jul 2007 Posts: 2

Oh great you guys are awesome and informative, thank you! =) i became a green tea lover by visiting this site, I still wanna taste that Gyokuro finest quality Razz

Ian Bersten · Posted: Feb 22, 2008 8:25 am Post subject: Sencha Konacha tea

I have watched the video about the making of tea. I am really asking about teh quantity of Konacha tea that is on the market. I get the impression that the tea trade is saying that this tea is made by accident as a by-product. I wonder if the tea is made on purpose and passed off by the trade as lower quality.

Any comments by anybody who has had real experience in a factory. There is too much dust in Konacha to be created by accident in my opinion.

Ian

Edit By Chip: Ian, please read forum rules. Thanx, and welcome to the forum. I have removed your link for you since I am certain you want to comply with the forum rules.

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

I have been to the factory many times. The konnacha is basically the dust that comes off into a small conveyor belt. Yes, it's dust, but that doesn't mean the dust is "bad" per se. Konnacha can be good.

Ian Bersten · Posted: Feb 22, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject: Sencha tea

There does not seem to be any cutting process involved in making sencha tea in the large leaf size. I cannot understand how so much dust and small particles are made. Surely this cannot be by accident. For instance I have seen Sencha fannings from China. I will try and find out if they make it by accident or on purpose.

Ian

Chip · Posted: Feb 22, 2008 2:40 pm Post subject:

The more leaf is handled and processed, the more breakage occurs. The steaming process breaks the leaf down as well.

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

Between the rolling and drying stages, dust does come off, trust me. There is a conveyor belt that runs under the driers for almost the entire length of the process specially designed to collect this dust and by the time the tons of leaves have been processed, there is a lot collected. Why waste it? They don't.

Ian Bersten · Posted: Feb 22, 2008 4:03 pm Post subject: Sencha tea

This is a reply from a Chinese manufacturer of Sencha fannings

The Sencha fanning is made into fanning on purpose. not a by-product.

Ian Bersten

Chip · Posted: Feb 22, 2008 4:14 pm Post subject: Re: Sencha tea

I would kind of expect a manufacturer to say this.

But why would he break his leaf down into a lesser grade. Larger grades than Konacha sell for higher prices. He would have increased manufacture cost in order to sell leaf grade that sells for less.

Plus, as Kevin states, why waste the byproduct...that would be like throwing money away.

Seems illogical. I would have to believe that the vast majority of Konacha is byproduct. Some may be made as well.

Ian Bersten · Posted: Feb 22, 2008 5:14 pm Post subject: Sencha

Can you advance any reasons why a manufacturer would say this if it were not true. What has he got to gain?

Just for your interest Sencha fannings from Japan are available retail in Sydney for $13.50 per kg or around $US 12 per kg - it is my guess it leaves Japan for around $5 per kg and comes from one of the largest manufacturers of leaf Sencha tea. The Chinese ones look exactly the same which does not surprise me - they have probably copied the technology from Japan. I understand that around 25% of Japanese Sencha comes from China. Is this correct?

cheers

Ian

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

What I'm telling you is that I have personally seen how this operates at the factory, numerous times, with my own eyes. Konnacha from Japan is largely a byproduct. I can't tell you what they do in China, but in Japan this is where konnacha comes from. Does it make logical sense to break apart perfectly good sencha leaves so you can turn around and sell it for the cheap price that konnacha goes for? No.

There are numerous Japanese tea companies that have invested in and are growing sencha and matcha in China. This is not intended for the Japanese market, it mostly goes to other countries where people don't know the difference between a good green tea and a bad one. Most of the stuff in the supermarket is this kind of tea. Definitely, 25% of the sencha market in Japan is not Chinese sencha. I doubt they even have 1% of the market in Japan. I can't say I've ever seen Chinese sencha for sale in Japan.

Most of the food grade matcha comes from China as well, mostly run by Japanese companies.

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

Ian Bersten · Posted: Feb 23, 2008 5:35 pm Post subject: Sencha tea

7). Japanese supply and demand for green tea in terms of supply is as follows:
Output Exports Imports Domestic demand
1996 88,700 428 10,824 99,096
1998 82,600 652 6,399 88,347
2000 89,300 684 14,328 102,994
Source: Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Japanese Ministry of Finance Trade Statics
Unit: Tons

China supplied 93% of the tea. The figure is much higher now.

If you insist I will keep digging until I find teh latest figures. I can assure you they are very high.

Ian