Hello Tea Friends!
When I saw this cute tea tin on Yunomi celebrating the Year of the Boar I had to have it. It’s completely adorable, the gold boars contrasting on the red and white background made it stand out. Plus the little bell on the tin was a nice touch.
Currently this tea with tin is $7.99. I personally would have been willing to pay that for the tin alone, the 30g of tea that comes with it is a nice bonus. If you’re interested in 20% off then click here. It is a referral link and I appreciate every use of it.
Well after a bit of time it arrived and it exceeded my expectations. I had forgotten how adorable it is. The washi paper is thick and I love it. The tin itself is great too, it’s tall and can hold a decent amount of leaf. Plus the seal cap is a great addition.
About the tea: It’s listed as being a “Delicious, spring-harvested fukamushicha or deep-steamed sencha from Shizuoka tea factory Seiko Tea is packaged in a washi-paper can with a design that celebrates the Year of the Boar.”
One reason I love Yunomi so much is the information and learning that’s available on their website. I’ve learned no end of things over the years and I know from personal experience if there’s something I don’t understand I can just contact them for help. Ian Chun (the CEO) is a wonderful man and very knowledgeable.
Fukamushicha, or deep-steamed green tea, is a type of sencha that employs a long steaming in the initial stage of processing to soften the tea leaves.
Here is more wonderful information on Fukamushicha for those that wish to learn.
Now the leaves. They are fairly small and broken down which makes it almost powdery but not quite. They’re a beautiful green colour with a high gloss despite the tiny fragments.
Scent wise it’s incredible! Fresh sweet grass with a hint of seaweed and a fruit. At first I thought it was floral but it’s sweeter and earthier so definitely fruity, like ume (Japanese plum).
Steeping Parameters: 5g leaf, 200ml vessel
1st Steeping – Tea: 5 grams. Time: 60 seconds. Water: 70˚C/158˚F, 1 cup.
Once steeped the resulting tea is yellow/green in colour and bares a mild but sweet, grass scent.
Flavour is very sweet and grassy with a salty, seaweed after taste and some umami. Somewhat buttery and not dissimilar to Japanese Oolong. I think that’s mainly down to the sweetness. Also hints of spinach to match with the butter.
2nd Steeping – Time: 10 seconds. Water: 80˚C/176˚F, 1 cup.
There is no two ways about it, this steep is greeeeeen. And considering it was only 10 seconds that’s impressive. I imagine the first steep acts as a flush which activates the leaves and this steep with the higher temperature is most of the goodness from deep inside the leaves.
With a deeper colour comes a stronger scent, ume and seaweed being very prominent.
This is the money steep. The tea is now thick with a powdery like feel that coats my mouth. Rich umami (particularly spinach) lightens into a sweet yet salty grass tone. Due to the powder it is dry which is mostly noticeable in the after taste.
That balance of umami, sweet and salty gives this tea an unusual but very charismatic finish. There’s something very satisfying experiencing more than one type of taste at the same time.
3rd Steeping – Time: 45 seconds. Water: 90˚C/194˚F, 1 cup
Some astringency is present in this steep and the powdery feel is still thick.
Flavour wise the umami has toned down, along with the sweetness. The grass however remains with a touch of wilted spinach. Not as flavourful considering the deep green colour, less so than the first steep I believe.
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A delicious tea that offered surprising sweetness with buttery spinach and ume. What a splendid gift to celebrate the Year of the Boar.
At this moment in time there are only 10 tins of this left, honestly if you’re tempted I would act soon. For $7.99 (£6.11ish) I think this is an absolute steal! Plus don’t forget if you use my referral link you could get 20% off that price. A quick search for the word Boar will bring this wonderful tea up 😀
I have some Matcha here to review over the next few days so more posts coming soon. Until then, Happy Steeping! And Happy Year of the Boar!
KittyLovesTea 