Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

World Shakuhachi Discussion / Go to Live Shakuhachi Chat

You are not logged in.


Tube of delight!

#1 2010-05-10 15:00:59

Seth
Member
From: Scarsdale, NY
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 270

NYC Tea Advice Sought

Way off topic, but something tells me this is the right forum for this question.

NYC was hit by the recent bad news that the Takashmiya department store on 5th avenue is closing down!  And, more importantly, its tea shop in the basement that arguably sold the best sencha in NYC is all sold out already.

Question:  Given the above, where is the best sencha to be found in NYC?  And, as a second option, what mail order option would you recommend for a serious sencha snob?   

I loved Takashmiya's sencha tremendously, and feel distraught that this valuable pipeline of Japanese tea is now being closed off.

I know there are lots of other places selling sencha in NYC, but none seemed as fresh as Taka's.   

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Offline

 

#2 2010-05-10 15:06:23

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

Yuukicha.com  That is where I get mine. smile

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/

Try the yabe supreme. MMMMM. Good.

Last edited by purehappiness (2010-05-10 15:08:35)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#3 2010-05-10 15:11:00

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

It sold out right now sad

I know why. smile

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/Organic+Sencha … be+Supreme


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#4 2010-05-10 15:18:33

Elliot K
Member
From: Santa Rosa, CA
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 132
Website

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

A few online suggestions:

My favorite: Horaido Tea Company in Kyoto. Superb sencha and gyokuro. Great matcha, too. Yasumori-san is a very nice guy. He prefers email (unless you speak japanese).

http://www.kyoto-teramachi.or.jp/horaido/greentea.htm

Also in Kyoto (and quite a bit better-known): Ippodo. Their Hosen sencha is wonderful. Nice karigane (stem tea), too.

http://www.ippodo-tea.co.jp/en/

If you want mail order within the states: Tea Passage. Sachiko brings in teas from a variety of sources, including sencha from Ippodo, Kanbayashi, Koyamaen, and Ureshino.

http://www.tea-passage.com/

Offline

 

#5 2010-05-10 15:38:23

Glenn Swann
Member
From: Central New Jersey
Registered: 2008-03-01
Posts: 151
Website

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

the above ideas are all good, plus hibiki-an
http://www.hibiki-an.com/
never ordered myself (as i have a direct pipeline from tokyo) but drank some ordered from there that was quite nice.
as far as an actual location in nyc, with ito-en also gone, i can't think of anything for good sencha... cha-an had some good sencha as i remember, but i don't remember if they sell it as such...


I followed rivers, I followed orders,I followed prophets, I followed leaders
I followed rivers, I followed highways,I followed conscience,
I followed dreamers... And I'm back here,
and I'm back here... At the edge of the sky       (New Model Army)

Offline

 

#6 2010-05-10 15:40:55

John
Member
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: 2010-01-13
Posts: 19

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

I get mine here http://www.hibiki-an.com

Just in time for the Sincha season


"The more necessary anything appears to my mind, the more certain it is that I only assert a limitation." ~ The Book of Lies, Ch. 45 "Chinese Music"

Offline

 

#7 2010-05-10 15:52:49

Seth
Member
From: Scarsdale, NY
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 270

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

Glenn Swann wrote:

the above ideas are all good, plus hibiki-an
http://www.hibiki-an.com/
never ordered myself (as i have a direct pipeline from tokyo) but drank some ordered from there that was quite nice.
as far as an actual location in nyc, with ito-en also gone, i can't think of anything for good sencha... cha-an had some good sencha as i remember, but i don't remember if they sell it as such...

I didn't realize Ito-en also went under!  I guess it takes a lot of cups of tea to pay Manhattan rent. 

And now for a follow up.... Do you guys see a difference between the very high end and the average sencha?  Worth paying the extra $10 for the super-duper premium or is that all hype?  (Kind of like the question:  Is the difference between a $5 K and a $10 K shakuhachi really apparent to anyone?)

Offline

 

#8 2010-05-10 16:27:07

John
Member
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: 2010-01-13
Posts: 19

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

Seth wrote:

And now for a follow up.... Do you guys see a difference between the very high end and the average sencha?  Worth paying the extra $10 for the super-duper premium or is that all hype?

There is a difference but I don't know that I could tell the difference in a blind taste test.  Some of the more subtle qualities like deeper color and aroma become more relevant and very enjoyable at the higher levels.  For Matcha I can't even tell the difference between the grades, but YMMV.

I tend to quaf the stuff in large quantities so price is an important  factor for me.  For my jaded taste buds I go with the Superior grade rather than Premium or Super Premium for the best bang for the buck.  I also have found that I prefer the somewhat richer taste of the karigane teas which have some stems included. They are also less expensive. I enjoy the slightly nutty flavor.  Also because of the lower costs, if you can try a higher grade of karigane tea for the same price as a lower grade non karigane tea.  To me these high grade karigane teas are the tastiest.


"The more necessary anything appears to my mind, the more certain it is that I only assert a limitation." ~ The Book of Lies, Ch. 45 "Chinese Music"

Offline

 

#9 2010-05-10 17:19:42

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

Seth wrote:

Glenn Swann wrote:

the above ideas are all good, plus hibiki-an
http://www.hibiki-an.com/
never ordered myself (as i have a direct pipeline from tokyo) but drank some ordered from there that was quite nice.
as far as an actual location in nyc, with ito-en also gone, i can't think of anything for good sencha... cha-an had some good sencha as i remember, but i don't remember if they sell it as such...

I didn't realize Ito-en also went under!  I guess it takes a lot of cups of tea to pay Manhattan rent. 

And now for a follow up.... Do you guys see a difference between the very high end and the average sencha?  Worth paying the extra $10 for the super-duper premium or is that all hype?  (Kind of like the question:  Is the difference between a $5 K and a $10 K shakuhachi really apparent to anyone?)

There is a difference. I have some 12 dollar stuff right now and it tastes like teabag tea. Yuk. The 12 dollar stuff is 1/2 twigs too. The premium is the top of the plant.

Once you drink the premium stuff or even the $20 stuff you will never be able to drink teabag tea again. I am serious. smile

Last edited by purehappiness (2010-05-10 17:46:47)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#10 2010-05-10 22:01:59

Glenn Swann
Member
From: Central New Jersey
Registered: 2008-03-01
Posts: 151
Website

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

"I didn't realize Ito-en also went under!  I guess it takes a lot of cups of tea to pay Manhattan rent.

And now for a follow up.... Do you guys see a difference between the very high end and the average sencha?  Worth paying the extra $10 for the super-duper premium or is that all hype?  (Kind of like the question:  Is the difference between a $5 K and a $10 K shakuhachi really apparent to anyone?)"


yes, a few weeks ago. i think you can still order online tho....

there is usually quite an apparent difference, everything being equal and ASSUMING IT IS PREPARED CORRECTLY. even the best sencha can be rendered nasty thru bad water, too hot water, or too long a steep. it's much less forgiving than oolong or black.
that being said, price isn't always the end-all, i have found some less expensive sencha i like better. regional differences are also a factor- uji, shizuoka and kyuushu all have very different aesthetics, and it's possible to prefer one over the others.. . finally, deep-steamed versus light steamed makes a huge difference- i'd more likely enjoy personally a light-steamed cheaper tea than a more expensive fukamushi, but that's 100% personal preference.
my all-time favorite tea company is uji's gion tsujiri, but i'm not sure how to obtain that in america...


I followed rivers, I followed orders,I followed prophets, I followed leaders
I followed rivers, I followed highways,I followed conscience,
I followed dreamers... And I'm back here,
and I'm back here... At the edge of the sky       (New Model Army)

Offline

 

#11 2010-05-11 06:13:42

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

Yes, you need to learn how to brew the tea just right too. That is the fun part. smile
I used to have a water cooler at work that had just the right temp for my tea. Now they changed the cooler and it is too hot. sad

I use this little teapot with about a teaspoon worth of tea and a 8 oz. cup. It is glazed inside so you get the complete flavor of the tea. Unlike unglazed which changes the flavor of the tea you are drinking.I can almost get it perfect everytime. :)The rishi teasite has ok sencha but they only have one type organic not like yuukicha.

http://www.rishi-tea.com/store/seiyu-shiboridashi.html

Last edited by purehappiness (2010-05-11 06:18:24)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#12 2010-05-11 08:15:43

Seth
Member
From: Scarsdale, NY
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 270

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

Yes, I learned a while ago that a good cup of tea requires preparation with a stop watch and a thermometer.  I suspect most people who claim to hate green tea (which is many) have simply never prepared it correctly.  Just a few seconds and a sweet refreshing drink can turn into a bitter bomb. 

A couple of years ago I bought a high-end can of sencha from Ippido back as a gift for my boss.   He is a cultured man and I thought he would appreciate a unique gift from Kyoto.  He was really delighted by the packaging and ran to the water heater / cooler to immediately brew a cup.   He was very meticulous about following the brewing instructions, timing the exact right brewing time with his watch.  At the right moment he poured the tea out into a glass cup through a strainer and then held it up to the light and made a soft 'oohhh' sound as he admired the color. 

And then without a moment's hesitation he tossed in two heaping spoons of sugar.

Offline

 

#13 2010-05-11 09:18:34

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

Sugar MMMM. He might as well went to starbucks. smile


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#14 2010-05-11 10:45:37

radi0gnome
Member
From: Kingston NY
Registered: 2006-12-29
Posts: 1030
Website

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

All this talk about tea is interesting because very recently I concluded that the green tea (plain old inexpensive teabags) was causing my mouth to be too dry during my practice session. So, I decided to try just cool water instead. Everything was fine, so the problem appeared to be the tea as I suspected, but I wanted something warm, not cool, so I tried plain hot water. Surprisingly, the problem returned. The dry mouth wasn't because of the tea itself, but apparently was because of the temperature of the beverage, whether it be tea or plain water.

Has anyone else experienced this?


"Now birds record new harmonie, And trees do whistle melodies;
Now everything that nature breeds, Doth clad itself in pleasant weeds."
~ Thomas Watson - England's Helicon ca 1580

Offline

 

#15 2010-05-11 11:15:34

Elliot K
Member
From: Santa Rosa, CA
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 132
Website

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

Seth wrote:

...And then without a moment's hesitation he tossed in two heaping spoons of sugar.

Aaauuuuuughhhhhhh!!!

One of the most ironic things about Japanese green tea is that, in most of Japan, nobody knows what to do with it. Order it in a restaurant and they inevitably bring it out in an iron pot steeping in boiling water. By the time you can fill a cup the tea is already cooked. And, since all they usually offer is hojicha, you're better off bringing your own and just asking for hot water...

And, yes, if you're just about to play, (especially performing in public where drymouth can be a problem to begin with), drinking hot tea might not be a good thing. It's not just because it's hot - tea has some astringent properties as well. I always drink water at room temp before performing (and during, if possible, between tunes).

If you drink a lot of tea, (like we do),the temperature-controlled pots from Zojirushi are worth it - water at the correct temp instantly available.

Offline

 

#16 2010-05-11 11:32:25

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

I have tried cool water and even ice with my tea and it works too. As a matter of fact it even brings out the taste more. You have to let it steep longer. Usually 5 or more minutes works for me. I never drink tea while or right before playing. Tea time and playing time are two different things for me. smile

These are two different times to be mindful of what I am doing. Enjoying the aroma and taste of tea or enjoying the sounds from my shaku. smile

Last edited by purehappiness (2010-05-11 11:33:29)


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#17 2010-05-11 12:20:57

Elliot K
Member
From: Santa Rosa, CA
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 132
Website

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

purehappiness wrote:

These are two different times to be mindful of what I am doing. Enjoying the aroma and taste of tea or enjoying the sounds from my shaku. smile

I couldn't have put it better!

Offline

 

#18 2010-05-22 14:51:37

madoherty
Moderator
Registered: 2008-03-15
Posts: 366

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

radi0gnome wrote:

All this talk about tea is interesting because very recently I concluded that the green tea (plain old inexpensive teabags) was causing my mouth to be too dry during my practice session. So, I decided to try just cool water instead. Everything was fine, so the problem appeared to be the tea as I suspected, but I wanted something warm, not cool, so I tried plain hot water. Surprisingly, the problem returned. The dry mouth wasn't because of the tea itself, but apparently was because of the temperature of the beverage, whether it be tea or plain water.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I am not sure if this is related to your issue, but I have noticed recently that my tap water tends to dry my mouth out, where bottled water seems to be ok.  I suspect PH issues, but I guess it could be anything that is in the water.

Offline

 

#19 2010-05-22 19:32:37

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

Breville also makes temperature controlled kettles.


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

Offline

 

#20 2010-05-23 06:23:46

purehappiness
Member
From: Connecticut USA
Registered: 2009-01-13
Posts: 528

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

They say that the water makes the tea. I have well water which isn't too bad.


I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind was riding on me.

Lieh-tzu

Offline

 

#21 2010-05-29 08:09:08

lowonthetotem
Member
From: Cape Coral, FL
Registered: 2008-04-05
Posts: 529
Website

Re: NYC Tea Advice Sought

I've always found the best tea inside a bourbon bottle.


"Turn like a wheel inside a wheel."

Offline

 

Board footer

Powered by PunBB
© Copyright 2002–2005 Rickard Andersson

Google