Japanese vs. Chinese greens
 

Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to like those from
Japan more than those from China or visa versa? (Or maybe someone has a real
liking for a green from somewhere else..Korea, Vietnam, Ceylon, Assam even I
think.. I have tried sencha and gyokuro multiple times and for some reason
they just don't satisfy me as much as Chinese greens of almost any type do,
right now. But I like Genmai cha, which is a bit different...

I'm interested in hearing what others' experiences are.

--
"The country has entered an era in which
questions are not asked, for questions are
daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout

Melinda wrote:
> Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to like those from
> Japan more than those from China or visa versa? (Or maybe someone has a real
> liking for a green from somewhere else..Korea, Vietnam, Ceylon, Assam even I
> think.. I have tried sencha and gyokuro multiple times and for some reason
> they just don't satisfy me as much as Chinese greens of almost any type do,
> right now. But I like Genmai cha, which is a bit different...
>
> I'm interested in hearing what others' experiences are.
>

I'm a fan of Chinese myself; I've found Japanese teas a bit too vegetal
for my taste.

In article >,
"Melinda" > wrote:

> Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to like those from
> Japan more than those from China or visa versa?

china, mos' def. i love good japan sencha and gyokuro,
but the thing about japan is that there's just not the variety
there is in china greens. they steam most, if not all, of their
teas, which gives them a certain similarity. they don't make an
oolong or a black - i wonder why not. anyway, china has so many
varieties
of green tea, i don't think you could try them all in one
lifetime......p*

I'm on the Japanese side of the fence. While I really enjoy the Chinese
greens, there is something that really connects with me in the Japanese
greens. The bad ones are some of the worst teas I've ever had, but the good
ones....Aaah!

Blues

Melinda wrote:
> Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to
> like those from Japan more than those from China or visa versa?
>
Just Japanese for me. Occasionally I flirt with a Chinese green,
and while sometimes a pleasant diversion, they never match the
bright, live flavor I admire in Japanese greens.

--crymad

"Melinda" > wrote in message
...
> Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to like those
from
> Japan more than those from China or visa versa? (Or maybe someone has a
real
> liking for a green from somewhere else..Korea, Vietnam, Ceylon, Assam even
I
> think.. I have tried sencha and gyokuro multiple times and for some
reason
> they just don't satisfy me as much as Chinese greens of almost any type
do,
> right now. But I like Genmai cha, which is a bit different...
>
> I'm interested in hearing what others' experiences are.

Yes, I tend towards the China greens myself and want a sencha on rare
occasion, but I recently compared a China sencha with a Japanese sencha and
the Japanese won beyond a shadow of a doubt. Couldn't finish the bancha that
I tried - way too intense for me.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

"Bluesea" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Melinda" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to like those
> from
>> Japan more than those from China or visa versa? (Or maybe someone has a
> real
>> liking for a green from somewhere else..Korea, Vietnam, Ceylon, Assam
>> even
> I
>> think.. I have tried sencha and gyokuro multiple times and for some
> reason
>> they just don't satisfy me as much as Chinese greens of almost any type
> do,
>> right now. But I like Genmai cha, which is a bit different...
>>
>> I'm interested in hearing what others' experiences are.
>
> Yes, I tend towards the China greens myself and want a sencha on rare
> occasion, but I recently compared a China sencha with a Japanese sencha
> and
> the Japanese won beyond a shadow of a doubt. Couldn't finish the bancha
> that
> I tried - way too intense for me.
>
> --
> ~~Bluesea~~

I'm sure they exist, but I have yet to try a Chinese Sencha that I cared to
have a second cup of. I even got a couple of ounces of an organic Chinese
Sencha for free. It hasn't seen much use. I didn't care for the Bancha's
I've tried either. Though I haven't tried many.

Blues

It's odd that you mention that, because recently my tea tastes have
been changing. While I used to prefer Chinese green tea (not much for
Chinese black though), I find myself drinking more and more Japanese
tea. I never disliked Japanese tea, but it seems that the same
characteristics that I used to not be impressed with are the reason I
drink more of it now; very pure, bright green flavors.

I do feel that there is a wide variety of Japanese greens around.
However, the name of Japanese tea usually only refers to the way in
which it has been cultivated and processed (sencha /kabuse-cha
/gyokuro/ hojicha), and not to the unique characteristics of the tea
itself. Whereas all senchas have the same name, they have a significant
diversity in flavour.

I do not have a preference for either Japanese or Chinese greens, but I
tend to drink Japanese greens during working hours (100g a week, I am
addicted) and Chinese greens/oolongs (mostly oolongs) outside those
hours. Indeed, Japanese greens have this vegetal freshness, whereas
Chinese greens tend to be more complex.

Cheers,
Erwin

"Blues Lyne" > wrote in message
...
>
> I'm sure they exist, but I have yet to try a Chinese Sencha that I cared
to
> have a second cup of. I even got a couple of ounces of an organic
Chinese
> Sencha for free. It hasn't seen much use. I didn't care for the
Bancha's
> I've tried either. Though I haven't tried many.

Whatever you do, don't ever try to "fix" a cherry-flavored bancha and try to
make it cherry-vanilla by adding vanilla extract. <gag!>

--
~~Bluesea~~ "What was I thinking?!"
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

Melinda wrote:
> Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to like those from
> Japan more than those from China or visa versa? (Or maybe someone has a real
> liking for a green from somewhere else..Korea, Vietnam, Ceylon, Assam even I
> think.. I have tried sencha and gyokuro multiple times and for some reason
> they just don't satisfy me as much as Chinese greens of almost any type do,
> right now. But I like Genmai cha, which is a bit different...
>
> I'm interested in hearing what others' experiences are.
>

Hi Melinda--

I tend to gravitate towards Chinese greens too. There seems to be a
broader range of flavors available in Chinese teas, and in my limited
experience they usually are more forgiving. I usually find they're less
expensive, too...bad sencha is cheap, but I can get a nice Chinese tea
for a low price. There's very expensive Chinese teas out there too, but
you know what I mean.

I do like keeping a nice sencha on hand. I find myself especially drawn
to it right now, when my instincts are waiting impatiently for Spring to
come. Right now I'm also craving salads and other fresh foods that I
haven't wanted all winter, and I'm guessing that's related to my sencha
cravings.

Jennifer

Blues Lyne wrote:
> I'm sure they exist, but I have yet to try a Chinese Sencha
> that I cared to have a second cup of.

Perhaps they exist, but my position is a resounding "why bother?
-- Japanese Sencha adequately succeeds on that count, so no need
to look further.

--crymad

Hey Crymad,

I finally found a sweet floral delicate Fuji yabukita sencha $8/100g in
a pop top tin can. A green tea anyone should enjoy. Absolutely no
grassy stringent taste. Comparing the teas from both countries is
apples and oranges. For those new to green tea you still can't go
wrong with a Chinese Pi Lo Chun or Lung Ching which is more easily
available.

Jim

crymad wrote:
> Melinda wrote:
> > Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to
> > like those from Japan more than those from China or visa versa?
> >
> Just Japanese for me. Occasionally I flirt with a Chinese green,
> and while sometimes a pleasant diversion, they never match the
> bright, live flavor I admire in Japanese greens.
>
> --crymad

pilo_ > writes:

> In article >,
> "Melinda" > wrote:
>
> > Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to like
> > those from Japan more than those from China or visa versa?
>
> china, mos' def. i love good japan sencha and gyokuro,
> but the thing about japan is that there's just not the variety
> there is in china greens. they steam most, if not all, of their
> teas, which gives them a certain similarity. they don't make an
> oolong or a black - i wonder why not. anyway, china has so many
> varieties
> of green tea, i don't think you could try them all in one
> lifetime......p*

I prefer not to choose between Chinese and Japanese greens - I love
the good ones from both sides of the water - but I do agree that
Chinese greens are far more varied.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

i enjoy korean greens the best-i usually purchase mine from shan shui teas
or franchia
joanne
"The Laughing Rat" > wrote in message
nk.net...
> Melinda wrote:
>> Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to like those
>> from Japan more than those from China or visa versa? (Or maybe someone
>> has a real liking for a green from somewhere else..Korea, Vietnam,
>> Ceylon, Assam even I think.. I have tried sencha and gyokuro multiple
>> times and for some reason they just don't satisfy me as much as Chinese
>> greens of almost any type do, right now. But I like Genmai cha, which is
>> a bit different...
>>
>> I'm interested in hearing what others' experiences are.
>>
>
> Hi Melinda--
>
> I tend to gravitate towards Chinese greens too. There seems to be a
> broader range of flavors available in Chinese teas, and in my limited
> experience they usually are more forgiving. I usually find they're less
> expensive, too...bad sencha is cheap, but I can get a nice Chinese tea for
> a low price. There's very expensive Chinese teas out there too, but you
> know what I mean.
>
> I do like keeping a nice sencha on hand. I find myself especially drawn
> to it right now, when my instincts are waiting impatiently for Spring to
> come. Right now I'm also craving salads and other fresh foods that I
> haven't wanted all winter, and I'm guessing that's related to my sencha
> cravings.
>
> Jennifer

Joanne Rosen wrote:
> i enjoy korean greens the best-i usually purchase mine from shan shui teas
> or franchia
> joanne

Hi Joanne--I've been curious about Korean greens but somewhat
intimidated by price (caveat: I've only encountered expensive ones, so
maybe there's a whole price-range I'm unaware of). Do Korean teas
differ significantly in taste from, say, Chinese teas?

Thanks,

Jennifer

In article >,
"Bluesea" > wrote:

> Yes, I tend towards the China greens myself and want a sencha on rare
> occasion, but I recently compared a China sencha with a Japanese sencha and
> the Japanese won beyond a shadow of a doubt. Couldn't finish the bancha that
> I tried - way too intense for me.

i've tried china sencha as well - my enthusiasm was well under control.
of course, the japanese have been producing steam tea for a looong
time. bancha is late season roughage - generally not a great
tea.......p*

"The Laughing Rat" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> I tend to gravitate towards Chinese greens too. There seems to be a
> broader range of flavors available in Chinese teas, and in my limited
> experience they usually are more forgiving.

I found Temple of Heaven gunpowder to be very unforgiving. Altering the
time, temperature, or amount by even a little meant it was condemned to be
poured down the drain, it was so bad.

My 2¢.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

Lol, is that from personal experience?? Heeheehee......

Melinda


"Bluesea" > wrote in message
...

>
> Whatever you do, don't ever try to "fix" a cherry-flavored bancha and try
> to
> make it cherry-vanilla by adding vanilla extract. <gag!>
>
> --
> ~~Bluesea~~ "What was I thinking?!"
> Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
> Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.
>
>

Bluesea wrote:
>
>
> I found Temple of Heaven gunpowder to be very unforgiving. Altering the
> time, temperature, or amount by even a little meant it was condemned to be
> poured down the drain, it was so bad.
>
> My 2¢.
>

I'm not a big fan of gunpowder, really. I know a lot of folks enjoy
it--the entire country of Morocco, for instance--but to me it is far
from the best tea China has to offer.

A friend recommended some gunpowder from a vendor I like and trust. I
also like and trust the friend, so I picked some up. Haven't tried it
yet. Supposedly it's good; at the price, it won't break my heart if it
isn't!

Jennifer

<red-faced>

What can I say? There's vanilla-flavored tea and I like to add vanilla to
rooibos and then there's cherry vanilla Coke...

--
~~Bluesea~~ "Sometimes, I amaze myself."
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

"Melinda" > wrote in message
...
> Lol, is that from personal experience?? Heeheehee......
>
> Melinda
>
>
> "Bluesea" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> >
> > Whatever you do, don't ever try to "fix" a cherry-flavored bancha and
try
> > to
> > make it cherry-vanilla by adding vanilla extract. <gag!>
> >
> > --
> > ~~Bluesea~~ "What was I thinking?!"
> > Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
> > Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

yes, most of the korean greens are more expensive but worth the extra
price-at the above mentioned websites
korean greens are also available at lower costs at han ah reum a food chain
specializing in korean foods, etc

my experience with chinese greens is more limited-
"The Laughing Rat" > wrote in message
nk.net...
> Joanne Rosen wrote:
>> i enjoy korean greens the best-i usually purchase mine from shan shui
>> teas or franchia
>> joanne
>
> Hi Joanne--I've been curious about Korean greens but somewhat intimidated
> by price (caveat: I've only encountered expensive ones, so maybe there's a
> whole price-range I'm unaware of). Do Korean teas differ significantly in
> taste from, say, Chinese teas?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jennifer

The only Korean green tea I've seen at my local Korean store is in bags, so
I passed it by. But I have a friend who's going to Korean this summer and
I'll be making a request. :) Does anyone know of good places in Korea to get
green tea? Any good tea houses etc? THanks in advance, and thanks for
mentioning it Joanne.

Melinda

--
"The country has entered an era in which
questions are not asked, for questions are
daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout
"Joanne Rosen" > wrote in message
...
> yes, most of the korean greens are more expensive but worth the extra
> price-at the above mentioned websites
> korean greens are also available at lower costs at han ah reum a food
> chain specializing in korean foods, etc
>
> my experience with chinese greens is more limited-
> "The Laughing Rat" > wrote in message
> nk.net...
>> Joanne Rosen wrote:
>>> i enjoy korean greens the best-i usually purchase mine from shan shui
>>> teas or franchia
>>> joanne
>>
>> Hi Joanne--I've been curious about Korean greens but somewhat intimidated
>> by price (caveat: I've only encountered expensive ones, so maybe there's
>> a whole price-range I'm unaware of). Do Korean teas differ significantly
>> in taste from, say, Chinese teas?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jennifer
>
>

chinese. japanese all taste the same to me.


"Melinda" > wrote in message
...
> Do people who like green tea here find themselves tending to like those
from
> Japan more than those from China or visa versa? (Or maybe someone has a
real
> liking for a green from somewhere else..Korea, Vietnam, Ceylon, Assam even
I
> think.. I have tried sencha and gyokuro multiple times and for some
reason
> they just don't satisfy me as much as Chinese greens of almost any type
do,
> right now. But I like Genmai cha, which is a bit different...
>
> I'm interested in hearing what others' experiences are.
>
> --
> "The country has entered an era in which
> questions are not asked, for questions are
> daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
> fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout
>
>

Major Korean department stores all have a wide variety of Korean teas
on sale in the tea sections of their food departments (invariably one
of the basement level floors). Assuming your friend is visiting Seoul,
she could explore the Lotte Department Store in Myong Dong (central
Seoul and the city's main shopping area).
Many Korean green teas are similar to Japanese green teas, and some are
made from Japanese tea plants and processed Japanese-style.
However you can also find exquisite hand-made teas produced using
traditional techniques in very old tea gardens that are part of
Buddhist temples. These can be very expensive, partly because the
volumes made are quite small - but they are much closer to Korea's tea
making traditions than many other offerings.
There are also inexpensive blends of green tea with barley or other
grains - these are often imported from China.

David

"Melinda" > wrote in message

> The only Korean green tea I've seen at my local Korean store is in bags,
so
> I passed it by. But I have a friend who's going to Korean this summer and
> I'll be making a request. :) Does anyone know of good places in Korea to
get
> green tea? Any good tea houses etc?

There are a lot of small tea houses in fashionable areas of Seoul, Pusan and
probably any other city. They serve tea with a sweet and also sell teaware
and tea leaves. It's nice to buy there or just go to relax.
Anyway, their tea leaves are expensive as they only produce higher grades in
limited quantities, and the rest systematically becomes tea bags or is mixed
as genmaicha. Many times, I have seen cheaper teas, but when I asked, the
shopkeeper has explained me it was imported.
Many of the "teas" the Korean drink are herbals. In spice markets, she can
find thousands of medicinal tisanes and spice mixes to prepare the dessert
drinks (like ginger or cinnamon flavored ones) that help you to digest after
excesses of Korean food.

Tell her to also get chesnut tea (there's no tea inside) in a supermarket
(or in the Lotte duty free shop if she
goes there). It's in bags and cheap, I buy tons of that each time I go to
Korea, it's a great evening tisane.

Kuri

Excellent, thank you both!

Melinda

"kilburn" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Major Korean department stores all have a wide variety of Korean teas
> on sale in the tea sections of their food departments (invariably one
> of the basement level floors). Assuming your friend is visiting Seoul,
> she could explore the Lotte Department Store in Myong Dong (central
> Seoul and the city's main shopping area).
> Many Korean green teas are similar to Japanese green teas, and some are
> made from Japanese tea plants and processed Japanese-style.
> However you can also find exquisite hand-made teas produced using
> traditional techniques in very old tea gardens that are part of
> Buddhist temples. These can be very expensive, partly because the
> volumes made are quite small - but they are much closer to Korea's tea
> making traditions than many other offerings.
> There are also inexpensive blends of green tea with barley or other
> grains - these are often imported from China.
>
> David
>


"There are a lot of small tea houses in fashionable areas of Seoul, Pusan
and
probably any other city. They serve tea with a sweet and also sell teaware
and tea leaves. It's nice to buy there or just go to relax.
Anyway, their tea leaves are expensive as they only produce higher grades in
limited quantities, and the rest systematically becomes tea bags or is mixed
as genmaicha. Many times, I have seen cheaper teas, but when I asked, the
shopkeeper has explained me it was imported.
Many of the "teas" the Korean drink are herbals. In spice markets, she can
find thousands of medicinal tisanes and spice mixes to prepare the dessert
drinks (like ginger or cinnamon flavored ones) that help you to digest after
excesses of Korean food.

Tell her to also get chesnut tea (there's no tea inside) in a supermarket
(or in the Lotte duty free shop if she
goes there). It's in bags and cheap, I buy tons of that each time I go to
Korea, it's a great evening tisane.

Kuri"

Japanese green teas seem to have a brightness about them. I find
Chinese teas in general somehow smoky. Bancha is an acquired taste, I
think, like Puarh, but most all Japanese senchas are mild. Japanese
senchas depend greatly on where they are grown and have drastically
different qualities. Yabukita is a popular favorite. I bought a nice
sumibiyaki (literally "coal fired") sencha in Shizuoka a few months
ago. I highly recommend Sayamacha for its sweet taste. Tea is grown in
nearly every prefecture up to Tohoku and there is such a variety it is
hard to grow tired of it. Even gyokuro or matcha is different based on
where it is grown. Japanese green teas are simply a part of life like
the air that people breathe here. It is a wonderfully light transition
entering that lifestyle.

Rufus Firefly
Tokyo

"crymad" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Blues Lyne wrote:
>> I'm sure they exist, but I have yet to try a Chinese Sencha
>> that I cared to have a second cup of.
>
> Perhaps they exist, but my position is a resounding "why bother?
> -- Japanese Sencha adequately succeeds on that count, so no need
> to look further.
>
> --crymad

I agree whole heartedly. The last batch I got was a freebie that came with
a purchase of a gaiwan. It was their top, organic, Chinese Sencha. I tend
to be a bit more forgiving with free tea, but it might as well have been
packaging material.

Blues

"Bluesea" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Blues Lyne" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> I'm sure they exist, but I have yet to try a Chinese Sencha that I cared
> to
>> have a second cup of. I even got a couple of ounces of an organic
> Chinese
>> Sencha for free. It hasn't seen much use. I didn't care for the
> Bancha's
>> I've tried either. Though I haven't tried many.
>
> Whatever you do, don't ever try to "fix" a cherry-flavored bancha and try
> to
> make it cherry-vanilla by adding vanilla extract. <gag!>
>
> --
> ~~Bluesea~~ "What was I thinking?!"
> Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
> Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.
>
>