I haven't been blogging much lately as I'm in the middle of a busy summer of travel and a big move from Europe to UAE. However I think it is time to give a shout out to a small independent tea shop in my barrio in Barcelona. There is a good selection of teas at Tea Shop Gran de Gracia, although there is a huge selection for the purists like me who dislike the flavored tea, which is so popular in Europe.
I continue my mission of trying to spread the word in Europe of how nice green teas can be IF ONLY we made them correctly. Often burnt and more frequently steeped for far too long, many people here think green teas are bitter and its totally a brewing issue. Japanese greens are particularly sensitive to brewing with water over 80C.
Sencha Organic [Japan, grassy, green] *** $ by Tea Shop Gran de Gracia, Barcelona, Spain
As is usual with Senchas the leaves are small and break up a lot, so if you dont like dealing with bits of leaves in your cup, you will need a very FINE tea filter. I often think the true test of a tea filter is how well it deals with sencha tea ie if it leaves through or not. Luckily I have a brand new German quality metal tea strainer to use while on the move.
This is was a decent mid quality Sencha with a pleasing mild taste and light green in the cup. I go to a festival in the summer here in Spain, where we camp in over 35C. The light cheap greens like this one are very popular as a cold tea with my fellow campers.
In a brewing method that the chinese would certainly NOT approve of, I wash the leaves and then put about a handful of them in a 5L water bottle and leave to brew overnight. The result is a refreshing tasty alternative to the not-so-pure water we get at the campsite. A sure summer winner and a way to hydrate a bunch of people with little effort.
I don't advise having this with ice and lemon like the Americans have their summer tea, as either will ruin the pure taste of the sencha.
This is was a decent mid quality Sencha with a pleasing mild taste and light green in the cup. I go to a festival in the summer here in Spain, where we camp in over 35C. The light cheap greens like this one are very popular as a cold tea with my fellow campers.
In a brewing method that the chinese would certainly NOT approve of, I wash the leaves and then put about a handful of them in a 5L water bottle and leave to brew overnight. The result is a refreshing tasty alternative to the not-so-pure water we get at the campsite. A sure summer winner and a way to hydrate a bunch of people with little effort.
I don't advise having this with ice and lemon like the Americans have their summer tea, as either will ruin the pure taste of the sencha.
Similar Teas: any sencha, bancha, grassy lowland Chinese greens
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