Open up your packet of Kagoshima Sencha Yutaka Midori, draw in deeply, and you’ll be hit with the heavenly aroma of extraordinary tea: forest freshness, met by the syrupy sweetness of blackcurrant and the tartier overtones of tropical fruits. You only get this kind of rich aroma when the tea is this fresh — and this good.

Precision pays off with this shincha: oversteep it by 10 or 20 seconds and you’ll find that the tea has developed a sharpness that can be off-putting. But get it just right and you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful sencha, a broth with flavours of steamed vegetables and a chewy texture.

Available from O-Cha

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | Shincha 2010: Kagoshima Sencha Yutaka Midori | No comment |
Post categories: Green tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: 2010 Shincha, First flush 2010, Japanese green tea, Japanese teas, Kagoshima tea, Kagoshima Yutaka Midori, O-Cha, shincha

It’s spring time in Japan, which means that the 2010 shincha harvest is just around corner. O-Cha.com have just started their pre-order sale, and you can get 10% off if you order now with this discount code: shincha2010.

Shincha comes from the year’s first harvest of green tea. Unlike other green teas, which are put into cold storage to maintain freshness, shincha is packaged immediately and sold as quickly as possible. It truly is the freshest of the fresh.

Last year, Bec and I tried O-Cha’s Yutaka Midori, which was exceptional. I think this year we’ll be getting that one again, as well as one or two other ones. There are eleven shinchas to choose from this year:

• Uji Asamushi Sencha “Kirameki” – $37.95
• Kagoshima Sencha Sae Midori – $24.95
• Kagoshima Sencha Yutaka Midori – $24.95
• Fukamushi Sencha Supreme – $22.95
• Shizuoka Sencha “Hatsumi” – $22.95
• Kabusecha – $18.95
• Chiran Sencha – $17.95
• Organic Sencha “Fuushun” – $17.95
• Organic Sencha “Oku Yutaka” – $17.95
• Organic Asamushi Sencha – $14.95
• Organic Sencha “Ooigawa Supreme – $14.95

The pre-order sale online April 21, so if you want to save yourself some money, go to O-Cha now and get your orders in early.

You can also browse O-Cha teas in the Tea Finely Brewed Marketplace.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | 2010 Shincha: Pre-Order Now with a 10% Discount | One comment |
Post categories: Green tea
Post tags: 2010 Shincha, Chiran Sencha, Fukamushi Sencha, Kabusecha, Kagoshima Sae Midori, Kagoshima Yutaka Midori, O-Cha, Organic Asamushi Sencha, Organic Sencha, Sencha, shincha, Shizuoka Sencha Hatsumi, Uji Asamushi Sencha

Kagoshima Shincha Yutaka Midori 2009

My package of Kagoshima Shincha Yutaka Midori 2009 arrived last week, earlier than expected. This is the second time I’ve ordered tea from O-Cha, and on both occasions I have been impressed with how quickly my tea arrived.

This shincha leaps out at me. It is unmistakably fresh, with an aroma dominated by blackcurrant. The smell of the rich dark green leaves reminds me of a forest floor – perhaps there is a hint of pine here.

I brew the tea in my porcelain Japanese teapot at 78° C for a minute. Following O-Cha’s instructions, I use roughly a teaspoon in 250ml (8oz) of water. It quickly becomes apparent that shincha needs to be brewed carefully. When I leave it to steep for 1:30, the astringency bites. Later, I also try steeping the tea at a lower temperature, which gives it a milder character.

The powder of the leaves swirls around in the tea, giving the appearance of a green miso soup. When I first sip this, I wonder if this tea is designed to be consumed alongside sushi or fish – something suggests to me that shincha would be a perfect accompaniment to either dish. The flavour is of steamed vegetables. I drink it and feel nourished, revitalized.

This is my first taste of shincha, but it has left me with that happy feeling that comes from discovering – yet again – how deep and rich the world of tea is.

Kagoshima Shincha Yutaka Midori 2009 2010 is available from O-Cha for $24.95 per 100 grams.

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Kagoshima Shincha Yutaka Midori 2009 | 2 comments |
Post categories: Green tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Japanese teas, Kagoshima tea, Kagoshima Yutaka Midori, Sencha, shincha

Shincha. Photo by geekgirlunveiled.

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.

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Shincha: Anticipating 2009's First Japanese Green Teas | 7 comments |
Post categories: Green tea
Post tags: first flush 2009, Fukamushi Supreme, Japan, Japanese teas, Kagoshima Yutaka Midori, Sencha, shincha, Shizuoka Sencha Hatsumi, Uji Kirameki