Ed Clark wrote:
>
> I am new to regular tea drinking. I have read about the qualities and
> virtues of green tea. Whether they are true or not is not important. What
> I am looking for is a green tea that has more flavor and body than a cup of
> hot, greenish yellow water. I brew at the recommended concentration and
> temperature but only get minimal results. Am I expecting too much? Is this
> tea supposed to be like that? Any recommendations and suggestions welcomed,
> I think.

What types of green tea have you tried so far? Lower-priced, ordinary
teas are of course going to taste rather ordinary. That's not to say
that only the most pricey teas are capable of giving satisfaction; I
regularly drink ordinary Japanese kona-cha (green tea "dust", sometimes
labeled as "sushi tea") in the cold months and enjoy its rough, warming
qualities. A big 200g bag costs only $5 at the local Japanese grocery.
My suggestion is to try some of this. Then perhaps get a sample pack of
some high grade gyokuro, something that goes for at least $25/100g.

Green tea, Japanese green tea in particular, is generally delicate in
flavor, much more so than black tea. And it's the antithesis of coffee
drinks at Starbucks. If you're more accustomed to taste sensations that
pack these sorts of punches, then green tea is going to take some
re-adjustment in perception. As Dean alludes to in his post , it's
quite possible that the ethereal qualities of green tea simply overpass.

--crymad