I got 10 tea samples of different breeds to
study: 1Yutakamidori, 2Saemidori, 3Asatsuyu, 4Asanoka, 5Yabukita, 6Koshunn, 7Benifuki,
8Shizu7132, 9Kanayamidori, 10Okumidori.
Comparing
the different samples at the same will make it easier to find the
differences. However, 10 samples were
kind of too many for me. I got confused
after tasting several kinds. I think I
need more experience on this, hahaha. Anyway, it was very interesting. Some teas have a distinctive aroma, and some
teas are very mild. I was kind of
surprised to find out that Yabukita has relatively strong bitterness among the
ten.
My favorite one is Asatsuyu. I simply find it tasty. The most significant character of this tea is
umami. You find it right after you sip the tea and
it beautifully lasts to the end. The umami merges with other flavors and
creates a rich body in the taste. You
can enjoy the umami changing into milder
sweetness during the aftertaste. This
tea has more bitterness than Yutakamidori and Saemidori, but it’s not sharp at
all, so I can still consider it mild.
In the tasting, I used boiling water, so I
prepared it again with lower temperature (leaf:2g, water:30ml/1oz, 65C/149F,
1min). Using this method, I found out
that it has a nutty sweet aroma. The
aroma will get me to have a good expectation.
With the first sip, I was sure that my assumption was correct. The rich umami
pleased me. But, I feel something
missing in the taste, so I still need to experiment for a better mixture. Anyway, I like Asatuyu. You try it and let me know your preference.
Posts
Interesting! Where are each of those types from?
ReplyDeleteHi, Nick-san, I bought the 10 samples as one set, and I don’t know where each of them from. These teas are meant for studying, so they were not dried well in the finishing process. It is to avoid “hika” or roasted aroma, so you can simply taste the natural flavor of tea.
DeleteNice collection by you!!!Among these 10 variants which one will you consider for healthy consumption by older people ?
ReplyDeletehttp://trueceylontea.com/
Hi, TrueCeylonTea-san, I’m regret to say that I don’t know which one is better for health. Sorry.
DeleteIs it difficult to obtain single breed teas? Many of the teas I have tried in the past are a mixture of several type to obtain a specific taste. Do the single breeds have less depth and complexity to their flavor? Do you think you will try to mix your own blend from these singles? This is very interesting!
ReplyDeleteHi, anastasia-san, You are right. Most of tea sold at stores is usually blended. But still you can find some shops selling single breed tea. You could say that single breed tea has less complexity. Some breed has rich umami but its color is not so good. Some other breed has a beautiful aroma but it also has great bitterness. They are not perfect however it doesn’t always mean less attractive. I think that the uniqueness makes things interesting.
DeleteYes, much like chocolate! I will keep an eye out for single breed teas, in the future.
DeleteI'm guessing it would be very hard to find these single-breed teas in North America, sadly.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Japanese tea, you might enjoy this. I tried a tamayokucha flavoured with pieces of yuzu peel. I've never tried yuzu before, and I really like the tartness! I wrote a review here:
http://sagacitea.blogspot.ca/2012/07/yuzu-dream-mellow-monk.html
Cheers,
Kate
I love yuzu. It is also used in Japanese dish to add some hidden flavor.
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