Ippodo Tea
Edit CompanyPopular Teas from Ippodo Tea
See All 72 TeasRecent Tasting Notes
Maybe it’s been a while since I’ve had houjicha, but the aroma that came from the teacups was excellent, and mostly, a lot stronger than I expected. Usually I have to put my nose in the teapot to take in a nice aroma— here, it felt like the whole kitchen had been filled (at least momentarily) with a delicious roasted aroma.
And this houjicha is perhaps the best example I’ve had of a tea that has been successfully roasted to the point of caramelization. The first cup or two I drank hot, but used the majority of the kettle I brewed to make a big pitcher iced. It is delicious either way, but I almost think I prefer it hot, since the aroma is even better. Either way, this is definitely some of the best I’ve had.
As for Ippodo as a whole, this was my first order, and everything about them is really impressive. The way they wrap the teas, the info. packets they provide about brewing, about the company and products… they are all excellently and professionally made. You can tell they put a lot of care and thought to every detail.
I have been thinking about ordering some houjicha for the summer. It will be a nice change from all of the senchas I have been sucking back lately.
Glad to hear you were impressed with the co. I have thought about ordering sencha from them, but am not thrilled that they only allow EMS shipping and have no PayPal option at checkout.
But, who knows?
Best wishes,
sherubtse
Yes, only EMS will certainly limit the number of times I would potentially order from them, but I totally understand why they would chose to do that as a business. It is strange that they don’t allow PayPal, since that does seem to be a fairly standard option.
I often like to have another kind of tea around (other than sencha) so I can change things up…. houjicha, gyokuro, or some kind of unrelated black tea. Though, that sometimes means I just drink sencha and the other …. :-)
Sorry, what’s EMS?
Express Mail Service – the expensive option of shipping (I’ve only seen it from Japan but it may be used elsewhere); usually starting at 1200 JPY ($15). But it is fast and insured. Some Japanese companies offer only EMS as a shipping method because SAL (surfaced air mail) while cheap, can be unreliable.
Some companies (e.g., O-Cha) also offer 1st class airmail, which is my preferred shipping option. It is quick and (relatively) cheap.
Best wishes,
sherubtse
Ah, I didn’t know there was another type. (Or, I assume 1st class airmail is the same as SAL). I have ordered from O-cha and used the cheaper option before, I but I don’t believe it was insured.
The cheaper option from O-Cha is not insured. But it is quick, taking just 2-3 days longer than EMS. And, it is faster than SAL (albeit more expensive as well).
Best wishes,
sherubtse
Cool, thanks for the info!
Miss your musings, bud! Let me know if you ever decide to order from Ippodo again — there’s a laundry list of things I’d like to try but could never afford by my lonesome :)
Hey Cole! Mostly, I just use teachat now. I like steepster, but decided I didn’t enjoy it enough to keep writing. Wanted to just enjoy tea as it is without thinking about how I’d write about it. And on teachat, they have cool tea tasting initiatives where you get to try a bunch of teas for cheap. ‘OTTI’ it’s called – check it out!
The other of my two favorite matcha’s, along with Ito En’s Koto no Tsuki.
Perfect umami taste, and fair price at 1,500 yen. Fast shipping from Japan.
Highly recommended….
http://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/kyoto/shopf/goods/index.html?ggcd=132024&cid=matcha
(Of course for beginners, you really need to use a bamboo whisk… a Chawan (tea bowl) is desirable, but you can get away with using a pyrex or ceramic bowl, but without the bamboo whisk, the matcha really is not going to dissolve properly and won’t taste right)
Preparation
The name tatsu-mukashi is a play on words. Tatsu (辰) is the fifth earthly branch and corresponds to the dragon in the Chinese zodiac, the sign for the upcoming new year; mukashi (昔) is the formulaic word for matcha of a grade high enough for koicha preparation.
Tatsu-mukashi really shines in the koicha-style preparation. The advertised characteristics – gorgeous aroma, rich, full-bodied umami, and bright pale green – come across brilliantly. This brews an extremely aromatic bowl of thick tea. The aroma is strongly that of fresh tea, with faintly grassy notes, and an interesting, mildly herbal aftertaste.
Although it is said that all matcha can be prepared as usucha, I found that the thickness of the scent of tatsu-mukashi is somewhat overpowering when prepared as usucha. Furthermore this tea consists of larger than normal particles, so that the tea settles more quickly than usual after whisking.
