Hi, I bought recently a wonderful book, Jane Pettigrew's The Tealover's
Companion, which has a directory of 80 major teas from around the
world. In her book, Ms Pettigrew recommends that you use 6 grams of
sencha per 160 ml (5.5 fl oz). (80C/175F for 2 minutes). Can this be
really right?

Using the same ratio, when preparing two small cups, one would need 14
grams for 350 mls of water, which is a lot of tea - certainly more than
two teaspoons, maybe closer to two heaping tablespoons.

I know some think that one should follow one's insticts, and while I
partly agree, I am also interested in how the teas really should taste
and be prepared.

Previously, I have used the "teaspoon per cup" rule, which produces
very mild and light, but still pleasant sencha. It was like drinking
hot water, with a very subtle hint of a pleasant green tea taste.

Now I bought a digital scale, and brewed sencha according to 6 grams
per 160 ml, which produced a totaly different taste. Now the sencha is
more of an aquired taste, definetly stronger, more grass-like, with a
hint of bitterness (not in a negative way) mixed in. I like this "new
sencha" too, but it certainly is different.

Can some one help and tell me which is the "real sencha", which is the
way properly brewed sencha ought to taste like? Does your sencha taste
subtle or strongly like grass?

A subject near and dear to my heart... I'd say that as always this is
too much tea for too little water. With a name like Jane Pettigrew I'm
guessing she is not Japanese, nor even close, not that there is
anything wrong with that.

Sencha is very light and flat, it also does not gain anything by
overloading it like some other teas do and then unfold over several
steeps.

I use about a teaspoon and a half (a little more than normal teas) but
I don't go crazy. There are tons of senchas, and the flavors do range.
I like the grassy/fishy ones myself, others like the simpler ones or
less harsh ones.

You'll learn as you go, try some different ones as well as bancha and
maybe a gyokuro to get a feel for the tastes. Pi Lo Chun is also a nice
one.

Enjoy!
Dominic

On Jan 25, 10:18 am, wrote:
> Hi, I bought recently a wonderful book, Jane Pettigrew's The Tealover's
> Companion, which has a directory of 80 major teas from around the
> world. In her book, Ms Pettigrew recommends that you use 6 grams of
> sencha per 160 ml (5.5 fl oz). (80C/175F for 2 minutes). Can this be
> really right?
>
> Using the same ratio, when preparing two small cups, one would need 14
> grams for 350 mls of water, which is a lot of tea - certainly more than
> two teaspoons, maybe closer to two heaping tablespoons.
>
> I know some think that one should follow one's insticts, and while I
> partly agree, I am also interested in how the teas really should taste
> and be prepared.
>
> Previously, I have used the "teaspoon per cup" rule, which produces
> very mild and light, but still pleasant sencha. It was like drinking
> hot water, with a very subtle hint of a pleasant green tea taste.
>
> Now I bought a digital scale, and brewed sencha according to 6 grams
> per 160 ml, which produced a totaly different taste. Now the sencha is
> more of an aquired taste, definetly stronger, more grass-like, with a
> hint of bitterness (not in a negative way) mixed in. I like this "new
> sencha" too, but it certainly is different.
>
> Can some one help and tell me which is the "real sencha", which is the
> way properly brewed sencha ought to taste like? Does your sencha taste
> subtle or strongly like grass?