Wakamidori Sencha

On 2008-09-13, Lewis Perin <perin@panix.com> wrote:
> You might come to like the thick texture.

That happened to me.

I was indifferent the first few times I had it. Then, several years
later, I craved the flavor intensely for no particular reason. I got
two from Harney and Sons, and now they rank among my favorite teas
ever (Kagoshima sencha and an ichiban sencha (a Shizuoka fukamushi
cha)).

In fact, I think I'll have some Right Now. Thanks!

N.

Square Peg wrote:
> I steeped it at 2.5 g/cup (180 ml) at 170 degrees for 2:00 minutes.

You might try it rather cooler - say 140F. Some people are astonished at
the difference. To me, 170F will turn most Japanese greens into stewed
spinach: not just loss of many of the delicate and appealing flavor
elements, but the addition of unpleasant new ones.

Once water that hot has been added, re-steeping cooler won't help.
Conversely, one can always increase temperature as the delicate
components are extracted through multiple steeps.

I tend to start most teas rather cooler than is common practice, and
never use boiling water for anything except red tea or later steeps of
Pu-erh. With Japanese and some Chinese greens, my guideline is that
water too hot for a finger-dip is too hot for early brews. Some
co-tasters find this objectionable; others have been delighted by the
base flavors and nuances thus revealed.

FWIW, I've found that better Japanese greens are usually excellent from
the start. Lesser grades typically make a bitter, slightly acrid (but
not unpleasant) first steep, and then deliver two to four very smooth,
well-balanced steeps that decline in intensity but not quality until
little remains. Some Japanese with whom I've worked over there either
throw out the first steep as a rinse, or politely offer it to others.
I've also noticed that they tend to keep adding fresh bags to a
single-cup kyusu until it's getting crowded. I haven't asked, but I'm
guessing that this keeps caffeine levels high while averaging smoothness.

-DM

On 2008-09-14, DogMa <DogMa_I@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> Square Peg wrote:
>> I steeped it at 2.5 g/cup (180 ml) at 170 degrees for 2:00 minutes.
>
> You might try it rather cooler - say 140F. Some people are astonished at
> the difference.

Huh, neat. I'll do that tomorrow. I only tend to like mine (at
160/170F) for twoish infusions at 3-5 minutes each. It'd be nice to
get more.

I tend to like a ratio around 1g leaf per 100mL water.

N.

On 14 Sep 2008 00:24:28 GMT, Natarajan Krishnaswami <nxk3@cwru.edu>
wrote:

>On 2008-09-13, Lewis Perin <perin@panix.com> wrote:
>> You might come to like the thick texture.
>
>That happened to me.
>
>I was indifferent the first few times I had it. Then, several years
>later, I craved the flavor intensely for no particular reason.

Hmmm... You don't suppose they put a little something extra in there
do you? I've heard that Coca-Cola (aka Coke) was not named that by
accident. ;-)

>I got
>two from Harney and Sons, and now they rank among my favorite teas
>ever (Kagoshima sencha and an ichiban sencha (a Shizuoka fukamushi
>cha)).
>
>In fact, I think I'll have some Right Now. Thanks!

de nada

On Sun, 14 Sep 2008 03:17:05 GMT, DogMa <DogMa_I@worldnet.att.net>
wrote:

>Square Peg wrote:
>> I steeped it at 2.5 g/cup (180 ml) at 170 degrees for 2:00 minutes.
>
>You might try it rather cooler - say 140F. Some people are astonished at
>the difference. To me, 170F will turn most Japanese greens into stewed
>spinach:

Interesting that you say that. That was exactly what I thought of when
I emptied the teapot. It was almost the same color and consistency.

>not just loss of many of the delicate and appealing flavor
>elements, but the addition of unpleasant new ones.

Yep. It did have some odd after taste that I couldn't identify.

>Once water that hot has been added, re-steeping cooler won't help.
>Conversely, one can always increase temperature as the delicate
>components are extracted through multiple steeps.
>
>I tend to start most teas rather cooler than is common practice, and
>never use boiling water for anything except red tea or later steeps of
>Pu-erh. With Japanese and some Chinese greens, my guideline is that
>water too hot for a finger-dip is too hot for early brews. Some
>co-tasters find this objectionable; others have been delighted by the
>base flavors and nuances thus revealed.

What steep times do you use?

Do you keep the temperature at around 140 for subsequent steeps?

Could you fill in a table both for your approach both with and without
a rinse?

Steep Temp Time
1 140 m:ss
2 140 m:ss
3 140 m:ss
...

Steep Temp Time
0 140 m:ss (rinse, discard)
1 140 m:ss
2 140 m:ss
3 140 m:ss
...

Thanks

>FWIW, I've found that better Japanese greens are usually excellent from
>the start. Lesser grades typically make a bitter, slightly acrid (but
>not unpleasant) first steep, and then deliver two to four very smooth,
>well-balanced steeps that decline in intensity but not quality until
>little remains. Some Japanese with whom I've worked over there either
>throw out the first steep as a rinse, or politely offer it to others.
>I've also noticed that they tend to keep adding fresh bags to a
>single-cup kyusu until it's getting crowded. I haven't asked, but I'm
>guessing that this keeps caffeine levels high while averaging smoothness.
>
>-DM

On 14 Sep 2008 03:47:45 GMT, Natarajan Krishnaswami <nxk3@cwru.edu>
wrote:

>On 2008-09-14, DogMa <DogMa_I@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>> Square Peg wrote:
>>> I steeped it at 2.5 g/cup (180 ml) at 170 degrees for 2:00 minutes.
>>
>> You might try it rather cooler - say 140F. Some people are astonished at
>> the difference.
>
>Huh, neat. I'll do that tomorrow. I only tend to like mine (at
>160/170F) for twoish infusions at 3-5 minutes each. It'd be nice to
>get more.
>
>I tend to like a ratio around 1g leaf per 100mL water.

Is this for all teas or just senchas?

I used 2.5g/cup (180 ml), which is about 1.4 g/100mL. I'll try it at
1g/100mL.

Square Peg wrote:
> What steep times do you use?
> Do you keep the temperature at around 140 for subsequent steeps?
> Could you fill in a table both for your approach both with and without
> a rinse?

Sorry; I'm way too lazy to keep track of such information. (And I only
rinse really filthy-looking teas. Hate to miss anything.) Besides,
that's not why I drink tea. Since someone brought up the MBTI, allow me
to refer to Rodger Bailey's LAB profile; some of us prefer "procedures"
and some "options." Or, to paraphrase the immortal words of a fictional
water vole, There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth
doing as simply messing about with pots.

-DM

On 14 Sep 2008 16:46:50 -0400, Lewis Perin <perin@panix.com> wrote:

>DogMa <DogMa_I@worldnet.att.net> writes:
>
>> Square Peg wrote:
>> > I steeped it at 2.5 g/cup (180 ml) at 170 degrees for 2:00 minutes.
>>
>> You might try it rather cooler - say 140F. Some people are astonished
>> at the difference. To me, 170F will turn most Japanese greens into
>> stewed spinach: not just loss of many of the delicate and appealing
>> flavor elements, but the addition of unpleasant new ones.
>>
>> Once water that hot has been added, re-steeping cooler won't
>> help. Conversely, one can always increase temperature as the delicate
>> components are extracted through multiple steeps.
>
>Ah, right; thanks for mentioning this. Brewing the tea cooler will
>make it sweeter and less astringent. If there's still a bit of summer
>left wherever you are, you might try brewing the tea at room
>temperature for maybe ten minutes. The tea will have so little
>astringency its texture will be creamy.

Do recommend increasing the amount of leaf for this method? 3g/cup?
more?

Hi Square Peg,
All those things you mentioned are just the stuff I like about this
tea, that sounds like this shincha Fukamushi this season and the tea
was almost thick and quite a lovely shade of green. But I used 1
standard red plastic teaspoon from tea g (cannot remember but it is a
"tea" spoon. I use 200 ml water 160 degrees. Short infusions . Ahh it
does smelll like a freshly cut lawnbut in a very good way. I remember
brewing it alot, like 3 times at least but the supply was much too low
for how much I loved this one...( I shoud have bought more)
Jenn

On Wed, 8 Oct 2008 20:40:15 -0700 (PDT), Jenn
<jefferysmom@m> wrote:

>Hi Square Peg,
>All those things you mentioned are just the stuff I like about this
>tea, that sounds like this shincha Fukamushi this season and the tea
>was almost thick and quite a lovely shade of green. But I used 1
>standard red plastic teaspoon from tea g (cannot remember but it is a
>"tea" spoon. I use 200 ml water 160 degrees. Short infusions . Ahh it
>does smelll like a freshly cut lawnbut in a very good way. I remember
>brewing it alot, like 3 times at least but the supply was much too low
>for how much I loved this one...( I shoud have bought more)
>Jenn

I just tried a pot at 140F for 15 seconds per various suggestions and
got 3 very good steepings and a 4th that was OK. It was quite good. I
think I need to fiddle with the parameters a bit, but this may be a
good tea. When this bag is finished, I think I'll spring for a really
good top grade sencha and see how that goes.