Yunomius

Sipdown!

I mixed the last of my sample with a pot of genmaicha tea to see how it would turn out. The buckwheat added a lot to the aroma of the tea, but it didn’t seem to change the taste that much. Ah well. Although I really loved this variety of sobacha, I bought a different kind today when I was downtown that seems pretty similar. Same variety of soba (dattan) but by a different manufacturer. On a gram-by-gram basis, the kind I bought today is half the cost of this online. Fare ye well, tasty sobacha!

Hey Steepsterites!

Remember when I said a while back on the forums that I would start reviewing tea on my blog, with a twist of comparing tea to fictional characters? Well, my first review is up, and it’s of this lovely cup!

This is a cup of grainy roasted goodness! It smells rich and nutty, almost like peanut butter, and the taste is like roasted rice or really thick, hearty bread. Soothing. Comforting. This is the kind of tea that just wraps you up and pats you on the head and makes you feel warm and safe. But make no mistake: this is not a weak, mush-mouthed tea. This tea has character. It has kick. It’s distinctive.

Comforting and maternal, with a backbone of strength and distinctiveness underneath? Which fictional character did I think of when drinking this tea? You’ll have to read the whole thing here to find out: http://christinavasilevski.com/2014/04/sunday-tea-books-sobacha-buckwheat-tea/

Sipdown!

I made the last of the sample package tonight and it was a good way to wind down the evening. However, I really want to try other houjichas before I decide what I like. This one was pretty no-nonsense. I’m curious about how it will compare to the smoky and dark roasts.

I steeped it western-style tonight, and while it was much less astringent, I’m still not sure what to make of it.

There’s this sort of “curly” taste to it that I’ve associated mostly with green oolongs and some green teas. The way it hits my tongue – I’m not a fan of it.

However, this is much more palatable than I was expecting. The smoky, roasty flavour is nice. Perhaps I’ll like the other roasts of this tea (light, dark, and smoky) more?

My very fist houjicha! I bought the sampler from Yunomius and decided to try the basic roast first as sort of a default option.

I followed the instructions to use a lot of leaf (a big heaping tablespoon), but I oversteeped it waaaay too much. It was really really roasty! It reminded me of some oolongs I’ve tried, though it was too strong. Next time I should try steeping it in a gaiwan rather than western-style. Can you do that with Japanese tea, or are gaiwans best with Chinese teas?

However, I’ll say that the tea is definitely doing its job of not adding caffeine to my system. I’m really tired and gonna go to bed now.

I woke up bright and early today thanks to the excessive happy chirping of birds and my cat chirping at the birds. Laying in bed I thought to myself, I should make some origami, and so I got all my paper out of storage and set it up in my craft and tea lair. Of course I promptly went back to sleep and have not actually started folding anything yet, but I am mulling over some projects, I am excited. I have a suspicion that I will hang lots of modular pieces from the rafters.

Today’s tea is Shincha from Onejima, Kagoshima from the Yamane-en Tea Shop and Yunomi.us. This particular Shincha (first flush of Sencha, for those unfamiliar with the term) comes from the rare Shouju Cultivar whose name translates to Eternal Happiness. With a name like that I knew I needed to try it, plus have I ever seen a Sencha that I didn’t immediately want to try? The aroma is very green, full of life and grass! There is also notes of cedar and straw with a touch of kelp. I am used to Sencha smelling faintly sweet, but these leaves are savory and green, I find it very intriguing and pleasant.

Once the delicate leaves get a dip in warm and fairly short bath, I notice the aroma gets more of a chestnut quality with a strong grassy note. This fades to a kelp and finally fresh sea-side air. I love when the aroma of tea evokes the ocean, it is just such a clean aroma. The liquid mixes the aroma of spring vegetation and sea-side air, primarily fresh grass, there is also a tiny touch of chestnut at the finish.

The first thing I notice about the taste is how sweet it is, surprisingly honey sweet compared to its savory aroma. The sweetness has an almost citrus quality, similar to orange blossom honey mixed with a gently and fresh grass taste. The midtaste is kelp, giving this tea an umami quality. Finishing the experience is a sweet citrus note that lingers in the mouth for quite a while. This tea manages to be very subtle while also being very complex, a quality I find very endearing.

As to be expected I wanted to have another dance with the leaves. The second steep, like the first starts off very sweet, but it differs by being more of a sugar cane sweetness instead of honey. The rest of the taste is buttery smooth and grassy with a gentle hint of hay. The second steep has a whole new level of subtlety that I find very soothing. I can imagine being a leaf absorbing sunlight while drinking this tea, it feels refreshing and soothing in that very manner.

For blog and Photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/04/yunomius-and-yamane-en-shincha-from.html

As you might have noticed, there was no blog yesterday. I was at a Passover Seder, replacing my usual tea for a bit of wine. Ben is half Jewish and very close friends of the family are Jewish, and they host a very awesome Seder every year. Of course they host other fantastic Jewish feasts, but Passover has always been a favorite, I am so glad they always think to include my Shiksa (which also means meal in Korean) self. Even going far enough to reward me a sweet five dollars (I feel rich!) for the Afikoman! I love exploring cultures that are different than mine, especially when they enjoy including ‘outsiders’ who want to learn!

Today’s blog is going to be a bit of an adventure, since I am reviewing an ingredient! Specifically Genamicha Ingredients by Yunomi.us and Yaname-en Tea Shop, made from Toasted Uruchi Rice and Tokachi Black Soybeans. Toasted Uruchi rice (or Uruchi-Mai) is a short grain polished rice that is most commonly eaten in Japan, the soybeans are from the Tokachi region of Hokkaido. I decided to mix the ingredients with three different teas (for a start, I know I will come up with more blends) giving a nice demonstration of how the rice and soybeans perform under heat.

The first blend is using Sencha of the Summer Sun, by Obubu Tea. The aroma is exactly what you expect, a nice toasted rice aroma that blends really well with the sweet and grassy aroma of the sencha. The taste is like sticky rice and popcorn with a slight bean taste that fades into the grassy sweet and slight seaweed umami taste. I noticed that adding the Genmai to the Cha that it brings out more of the sweetness from the sencha. I call this blend a success.

For the second experiment I did something I always wanted to try, Houji Genmaicha! The aroma is the wonderfully toasty roasty, blending the toasted and slightly smoky aroma of the Houjicha with the toasted rice makes the tea smell just like autumn. The taste is fantastic, I almost don’t have words other than yummy, yummy, yummy. The smoky and roasted flavors of houjicha blend perfectly with the toasted rice sweetness, there is also a hint of the soybeans which adds an earthy quality. The taste, like the aroma, is very autumnal, bringing the idea of falling leaves, distant fires, and harvest.

For the final experiment I went with Sakura Sencha. You might remember from my review of Sakura Blossom Tea that I mixed the Sakura blossoms with Genmaicha and Sencha and really liked both of them, so I deiced to mix my Sakura Sencha with Genmaicha. The result is very similar to the Sakura blended Genmaicha, slightly salty and nutty with roasted rice and a floral finish. Very much the taste of spring!

I enjoyed this little experiment with rice and tea, I can’t wait to come up with some new concoctions using this tasty roasted rice. I liked the addition of the soybeans, it added an extra nutty and earthy quality to the tea, definitely a new favorite!

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/04/yunomius-and-yaname-en-genmaicha.html

Thanks so much Jennkay for a sample of this tea!

I love Japanese greens but I’m not sure I’ve ever tried a bancha! The dry leaves look very fresh and HUGE. Brewed up it is extremely green and vegetal tasting and smelling, like spinach or maybe kale, but somewhat sweet and almost a little spicy. It is a very interesting change up from the types of greens I’m used to! Very fun to try :)

I am so excited for tonight! Around 2AM (Central Time) a full Lunar Eclipse will be starting, an infamous Blood Moon. It is one of the many things on my ‘things I want to photograph’ list (it is a huge list), I have my camera and tripod all ready. I also have proper moon viewing tea selected, proper snacks, a large pile of blankets, and cushions ready as well. Sadly the beautiful warm weather decided to wander off and it is going to be practically winter outside tonight, I wonder if I will chicken out and photograph it through a window?

Today’s tea is a rather unique offering from Yunomi.us and Chakouan Yamaguchi Seichaen Co. #14 Ureshino Gyokucha-Ochatama, what on earth is this mysterious tea you are probably asking right now. Gyukucha, or round tea (or Japanese Gunpowder) is a byproduct of Sencha production, from Ureshino in the Saga Prefecture. This rare and unusual tea is not only a tea but a tasty snack, well, I certainly like snacks! The aroma of this emerald green tea is sweet fresh grass and seaweed with a sharp vaguely floral aroma. It smells warm and a tiny bit chestnut like, it reminds me of a blend between the aroma of Sencha and Gyouro, very tasty aroma.

Before I steeped the tea in my Kyusu, I wanted to test the snack aspect and popped a few of the tea balls into my mouth. First impression, yum! It tastes like seaweed and grassy green tea, it starts out umami and fades to sweetness with a nutty finish. I love these, I want to get a bunch and toss them in with my much loved rice cracker snacks (the kind that has seaweed and such, not the gluten free cracker substitutes). My only complaint is they are a little too crunchy and hard, a complaint I think most wouldn’t have, but I have sensitive chompers.

Snack time concluded and into the Kyusu the Gyokucha goes! The wet leaves are even grassier and seaweed heavier than the dry leaves, a really great blend of umami and springtime. There is still a very tiny hint of chestnut at the finish. The liquid is umami kelp to the max! After the initial aroma of seaweed fades there is a faint sweetness like grass and flowers, very field like.

The taste is hard to accurately put into words, it is a taste that evokes imagery. When I first sipped this tea I was immediately struck by how clean and fresh it tasted, it was like drinking raindrops off a blade of grass. It brings the cleanliness of rain and the sweet grass taste. The mouthfeel is creamy and full, nothing short of exquisite. The taste fades to seaweed and sea air giving it an umami finish.

You all know I had to have another dance with this tea, the aroma of the liquid is much the same with the second steep with a touch more of the chestnut quality. This steep is very sweet with a creamy full mouthfeel,, it does not have any of the umami quality, instead it just retains the freshness from the previous steep.There is also a surprise hint of fruit at the very end, leaving a sweet aftertaste. I really enjoyed this tea, not only was the taste amazing, it had the double feature of being a snack and it was unusual.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/04/yunomius-and-chakouan-14-ureshino.html

This is a quick note that will be altered shortly in the future. It’s not a ‘real’ review because I am highly medicated on anti psychotic drugs. While the question of me being psychotic will be questionable (depending on whom you ask) I have another reason for taking them. I have an ear infection, and one medication used for both earache/pain and dizziness caused by the infection also treats people with anxiety issues and mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Thank you dopamine. My husband has called me ‘weird’ today too and ‘scary’ so I think they have had some effect.

Regardless I thought I would keep drinking my tea. This was a special tea purchased from Yunomi in their rare but reasonable section. It has such large and whole leaves, so beautiful and autumnal. It’s flavour is also sweet and toasty which in a weird way reminds me of autumn. Oh yeah I’m cooking dinner and I need to go and dish up before it burns. But suffice to say this tea is beautiful so far.

I’m re-visiting this tea today. It’s been a while since I had ‘decent’ tea (being anything that is not bagged) as I’ve suffered for the last month with sciatica. It’s been pretty bad this time and I’ve struggled to walk at all for a few weeks, though honestly I have been so stressed packing for my house move that I needed the break…though I could have done without the excruciating pain. Well that is life I suppose, at least for the time being I can move around enough to use my kyusu and carry on with my life a little.

The umami is strong with this one (she says in a Yoda style voice). Which is true, it is very umami but the after taste is sweet and more Sencha like so I get the best of both worlds in one pretty unique tea. I have a few pots more of this one before I run out, though I will definitely place an order in a few months for some more.

First thing is first, run down my tea cupboard before I move….in my case it’s easier said than done. I hope my fellow Steepster-ites have been well :)

This tea arrived with my last Yunomi order which was only a couple of days ago. This tea intrigued me for two particular reasons:
1 – It’s rolled up into balls and resembles Gunpowder Green
2 – It says you can also eat this tea as a snack.
Well there is also a hidden number 3 – it’s a beautiful shade of shiny green

The first thing I did when I opened this tea is go ahead and eat a piece, diving into the deep end so to speak. It’s actually quite nice but also rather astringent and much stronger than I expected. It tastes like seaweed and cabbage but very raw. Like I said not disgusting but just an acquired taste.

If I forget about eating it for now I can note the tea itself. The balls vary in size but they average an estimate of 4-5mm and are flat rather than round (mostly anyway). They are dark green and very shiny but also have a rough look, like the surface of a stone. Though it’s mostly ball shaped leaves there are also some thin, small curls of leaves and stems present too. They have a sweet yet perfumed scent that is rather strong, also very mineral. Particularly savoy cabbage (or similar) and sweet grass.

Steeping instructions were followed and taken from the Yunomi website.

First steep – 30 seconds
The pale yellow tea has a subtle yet sweet smell which is more floral or mineral now than grassy. Oh yum! It tastes as it smells, very fresh and light but sweet and mineral. I’m imagining a light spring rain dancing upon the leaves of this beautiful plant and the fallen dancers are the result of the dew in my cup.

Second steep – 45 seconds
Thicker but still sweet and mineral with no astringency. The increased strength is still very mild but the flavour it has is beautiful. It has a green Oolong feel about it with notes of honey.

Third steep – 1min 10secs
Another slight strength increase but still no astringency though this one is a little perfumed and dry. Also more mineral and grassy than before.

This is a light and sweet green tea that tastes pure and very refreshing. There was no astringency at all though-out three steeps and the flavours carried on well. This is one of my new favourite Japanese greens.

Another wonderful Yunomi club sample. I missed work today as I slept in by mistake, luckily my boss (also my mother) was fine with it. My husband snores so loud at night time that it keeps me awake, I’ve always been a light sleeper and I need complete silence to actually fall asleep. He sounds like a jumbo jet scaring an elephant! I know it’s not his fault but in the last few months I’ve had very little sleep at all. I’m thinking he should have a sleep apnoea test.

I tear open the packet and take a sniff inside, it’s very sweet and floral, like sweet grass, honey dew with a dry perfume in the background. Very nice overall scent wise. Pouring a pinch or so of the leaves into my hand for inspection I can see small shards of dark to medium green leaves that are thin and very shiny.

My instructions recommend to steep 5g of leaves in 80ml of water at roughly 60C for 2 minutes. I’ve decided to double the leaves and water so it should still be at the recommended level.

Steeped this tea is golden yellow with a grass and seaweed scent, less sweet than it’s raw form. Flavour wise sip …..woah….. UMAMI! Savoury yet sweet and broth like, sweet and floral with creaminess and a hint of astringency. Very …well…strange tasting, but this is at a pleasant level. A nice sample to try and get me used to umami.

I think my cat Ivory may be Japanese, he loves the smell of Japanese teas and when I get a parcel from Japan he is first to come and smell it’s contents. :)

It says to steep the next pot for only 30 seconds. So a quick steep later: a much milder tasting tea which is more green in appearance. Hints of grass and flowers are still present but are very mild compared to it’s first steep. Leaves some dryness in the mouth during after taste.

A nice tea overall and I’m happy I got to try more umami, but this is still not the right tea for me. I would recommend it for others that wish to sample umami tea, this is rather mild umami and would be great to start with.

This really does taste a lot like sencha—or even matcha, with less of a bite. It’s mellower and more buttery than a real Japanese green, but it’s got that freshly mown lawn note down. It’s very different from other herbals I’ve tried. Thanks for the sample, Nicole_Martin!

I decided to take another trip to Japan this afternoon by sampling this Ureshino Kamairicha. I believe this was part of a Monthly Club package tea but it is possible it was a gift for placing an order. Either way I have a sample and intend to sample it’s delights.

The tea is small and rather finely chopped and the leaves are dark green with some stem. It has a sweet yet mineral, green scent, the more I sniff the sweeter it becomes and also more floral, similar to honey suckle and sweet grass.

Following Yunomi steeping instructions:
Serves: One person
Water amount: 1 tea cup / 6 oz / 180 ml
Water temperature: 80C
Tea leaves amount: 5 grams

First Steep (Issen Me – as I am learning Japanese)
30 second infusion
The tea ‘soup’ is yellow green (resembling yellow Jade) and has a sweet yet buttery grass scent. Flavour is very buttery and grassy with some sweetness and a floral after taste. Has a little astringency but at a nice level. Very sweet grass still and with a dry after taste.

Second Steep (Nisen Me)
10 second infusion
Very flavourful for only ten seconds, in fact I think it would have been too astringent if it were any longer. Still buttery and like sweet grass but the dryness has increased though it’s still at a satisfactory level. Also has elements of hay.

Third Steep (Sansen Me)
30 second infusion
An increase in the astringency though it still remains sweet, enough to be pleasant still. Again the dryness has increased also.

It was a nice green tea but if I’m honest it was not unique and I’m afraid I would forget it easily. I am happy to have tried it but it’s not a tea that I would re-stock.

While sorting through my teas after placing a hefty order for some more Japanese greens (my new passion) I found this teabag that was sent as part of the Yunomi club package. It’s a large see-through bag with 10g of beautiful bright green leaves that resemble the smell of grass and seaweed. Very sweet and green but also wonderful and vibrant.

The instructions say to leave the bag in one litre of water at room temperature for roughly 4 hours so I prepared everything ready this early evening time and it has been waiting in my kitchen. Well It has roughly 10 minutes left until it’s time to taste. It says it can either be warmed up after the steep or drank as an iced tea. I will be warming it through a little via microwave (going to try 30 seconds, I just want it luke warm).

Ok it’s finished and I had to double the steeping time to 1 minute to make the tea luke warm. The result is a yellow/green looking colour (very similar to Yellow Jade) and has virtually no scent. Also some froth on the top of the water.

It tastes very gentle and weak but does has some sweetness and hints of flowers. Also a little sour and dry, perfumed if you will, but not astringent. It said in the steeping instructions that 2 bags may be required to get it at the desired/personal strength. Another bag would bring out more of the flavours but this is still nice by itself, refreshing really to have such a light green tea.

My husband pulled a face when he touched the side of his cup and asked if it was cold (knowing full well that it was) but after his first sip his expressions changed completely, an enthusiastic ‘Mmmmmm’ parted from his lips.

Overall It’s nice and would be perfectly suited for a hot summers day but for me it’s too soft and I would prefer just a normal method green.

I am eating the most delicious bread before I get into my tea. It is a Ciabatta that is baked with Feta cheese and Kalamata olives and it is to die for. I also gained enough points using Bing’s reward thingy (I do a lot of searches related to tea, no surprise there) to get a gift card for Amazon, so I bought a (used) book I have had my eye on. Read and Write Chinese by Rita Mei-Wah Choy, I like it because it is really well organized, has both Mandarin and Cantonese, and you can look up character by Chinese, English, and stroke count. It will be so useful for translation. It has been a good day and I am happy.

Today’s tea is Spring Sencha Teabags from Takeo Family Tea Farms and Yunomi.us. As I am sure you can glean from the name this tea is harvested in spring time (first harvest actually), but who wants to just stop at that little nugget of information. The tea was harvested in the Mie Prefecture, which is part of the Kansai region on the island of Honshu. This beautiful coastal prefecture is home to the Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks) which is really high on my list of ‘must see places’ list. The aroma of this tea that is in a bag is faint but distinct. There are notes of gentle sweetness, spinach, and fresh grass. Primarily the aroma is more of a savory sencha quality than a sweet one with a very slight finishing note of fresh pine needles. Luckily I did not notice the teabag itself adding any aroma to the tea, it is always so annoying when I can smell bag.

Once the tea gets a steeping in some nice warm water the aroma becomes stronger and quite spring like blending vegetal spinach and grassy green with a bit of kelp. There is also a slightly sweet citrus finish as the teabag is pulled away from my questing nose. The liquid is quite sweet, smelling more like fresh hay than veggies of any sort. There is a very slight hint of kelp hiding under the hay.

The taste is at first that of kelp giving it an umami quality that is quite appealing, especially as it fades to a fresh grass sweetness in the aftertastes. Of course there is a midtaste in between, and it is a blend of spinach and kale, but without the bitter quality that kale has when raw. This tea is quite good for bagged tea and is, of course, the quality I expect from Yunomi.us. I received the teabag as a sample in a previous order and could see myself ordering more for when I travel or don’t feel like breaking out the Kyusu and making a big deal of drinking my Sencha.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/02/yunomius-and-takeo-family-tea-farm.html

I’m going to call this a sipdown since mom is having the last cup. Again, this is a really good cup. I think the best word for it is “mellow.” It’s a comforting taste that reminds me a little of houjicha but not as roasty.

This cup comes to me from Jennkay. Thank you! This one is nice and mellow. It’s a little sweet but not in a sugary way: more like in a fresh green beans way. Something about it is just relaxing, and I definitely recognize the flavor from the Bancha Houjicha I liked before. I think Bancha could earn a spot in my cabinet.

Hello again Steepster!

It’s been a while since I wrote anything here. But it’s been a cold winter and I have been drinking a lot of tea. The roasted lemongrass from Furyu and Yunomius has been an interesting thing to try at night, when I don’t want any caffeine. It’s roasted to have some of the same flavors as a hojicha, but it’s made out of lemongrass, not tea, so it is fruitier and, well, less tea-like. Definitely an interesting experience, and it’s pretty light, so the 10g packet goes longer than you might expect.

Sipdown (126)! I’m sad to see this one go, but at the same time, I don’t think I will miss it too much because I have so many other Japanese greens. I overleafed a bit (last of the sample) and steeped for under one minute in order to avoid bitterness with success! I’m not sure if it’s because I overleafed a bit, but it also has a very thick feel this morning. There is a hint of astringency, but it’s barely there. I’m actually more excited that I’m having a sipdown on Saturday Sample Sipdown! Maybe I’ll finally really participate and find some other teas that I can sip down… Time to go through my (physical) cupboard!

After tasting a bunch of new teas from the TTB, I wanted to wander back into familiar territory for a bit. I tend to love Japanese greens, so I came back to my sample of this tea. It was nicely savory and grassy at the same time, and I think I’m gonna bump up my rating of this a bit. I will say, though, to be careful because it can get very bitter quickly. I think I steeped for one or two minutes and it was fine, but I left the leaves in my teapot, and the rest of it got bitter. I added some more hot water to try to rectify the situation, but ended up making it too diluted. Anyway, keeping an eye on steeping the first time around seems to be the key here. Looks like I only have enough for one more go, so I’ll be sad to see it go.

I have a sample size of this from my last order from Yunomi that I’m finally getting around to. The dry leaf is very clumpy, which I didn’t realize was supposed to be the case until I read the description again about the tea leaves being “rolled”. It smelled grassy and a bit like hay. After steeping to a vibrant yellow-green, it tastes grassy and savory at the same time, if that makes any sense. It’s a nice cuppa, but not my favorite type of Japanese green.