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