Shincha: Anticipating 2009's First Japanese Green Teas
Green tea
In a world where supermarkets stock a never-ending supply of tea, have we lost the thrill of anticipation? Do we remember the feeling of waiting for a new harvest to yield a fresh crop of tea?
An email from O-Cha this morning reminded me: 2009’s first harvest is drawing near. And O-Cha have four shinchas ready to pre-order, from four different Japanese tea gardens.
Shincha is the year’s first harvest, alternatively known as first flush. Once plucked, it’s immediately packaged and made ready for sale. It doesn’t get any fresher than this.
Given that it is only produced for a few days every year, shincha is a rare treat for tea aficionados. I decided to splash out and take advantage of O-Cha’s $2 early bird discount: one 2009 shincha from Kagoshima prefecture will be coming my way sometime in May.
This year, I’ll enjoy the thrill of anticipating a fresh tea harvest.
Pre-Order 2009 Shincha from O-Cha
- Shincha – Kagoshima Yutaka Midori: $24.95 for 100 grams.
- Shincha – Shizuoka Sencha Hatsumi: $22.95 for 100 grams.
- Shincha – Uji Kirameki: $37.95 for 100 grams.
- Shincha Fukamushi Supreme: $22.95 for 100 grams.
- Kagoshima Sencha Sae Midori: $24.95 for 100 grams.
Order any of these before April 21 and you’ll get $2 off.
Sam wrote on March 16th, 2009 at 4:33 am
I might have to start ordering some of my teas online. The place I go to here in Oslo is quite expensive, although I love their teas and the ability to smell in advance. But now that I have a few favs, ordering those online seems like a pretty smart idea!!
Stephanie D wrote on March 16th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Love your blog!! Great articles, and very informative overall
I LOVE IT when I find another blogger out there who has as much of a passion for tea as I do! I’ve linked to your blog over on my blog’s sidebar – Keep up the great work!
Jo wrote on March 17th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Hi Eric,
just a little correction: shincha is harvested for a much shorter period than a few months, it’s actually just a few days that are suitable for shincha harvest (the actual dates might differ depending on location of the tea garden).
If you never had shincha, try it, it is a really special treat. But don’t make the mistake and try saving some for later, it has to be drunk up pretty fast or it loses its flavour and freshness.
Jo
Eric wrote on March 17th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Sam: Certainly, once you’ve figured out which types of tea you enjoy the most, buying online can help you find the best of the best. I know that the choices available to me offline (ie. shops here in Melbourne) often don’t measure up to the options online.
Stephanie: Thanks for dropping by! I’ve been keeping an eye on your blog; love the design!
Jo: Thanks for the correction. I think what I meant to say was that it’s only *sold* for a few months a year – but obviously I hadn’t written that! I’m really looking forward to trying some shincha come May.
Lainie Petersen wrote on March 17th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Thanks for the heads’ up. I am going to order some right away!
Eric wrote on March 18th, 2009 at 1:43 am
Lainie, let me know which one you get!
Fortunato wrote on May 12th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Hi, it seems a Deishi Shibuya Yunomi on the pix… Btw, zencha.net Fuji The Ultimate Shincha is amazing as a Fukamushicha !