2015/12/18

Beyond Words

It is so difficult to describe the taste. The taste is beyond words. 

The other day, some tea friends and I tasted Sencha produced from a very rare cultivar. It had very distinctive flavor. I really didn’t know how to express it, but at the deep in the tea, I felt the aroma of “fish bone”. Fish bone!?? I know it doesn’t sound appetizing At All. Rather than that, you would say that you don’t want to try it. But don’t get me wrong. It was Good. I didn't mean it was no good.

My friends were surprised to hear what I said, but one said “Now you mention it, I feel that too.” Another said, “ I can feel that too, but more like 'tai-chazuke' dish (green tea poured over the of sea bream and rice). Well, let me put it this way. It's like umami coming from the 'tai-chazuke'”.That’s it! That’s what I tasted. It sounds much better than fish bone, doesn’t it? 

I know that my expression is often weird, but not only me (Phew...:-) . For other teas, some said “This is like tatami straw mat.” or “I feel as if grass is coming out from my mouth” or so. I have never put tatami mat in my mouth and I don’t want some grass to be came out from my mouth, but understand how they meant. 

infused leaves
The sense of taste and the way of description are different from person to person. That’s why it is fun to share teatime with my friends and share our comments. 

BTW, I don’t want you to get a wrong image from my comment, but the tea I had was sencha produced from "Yamato-midori" cultivar. It has a good body and distinctive flavor with umami, which is "deep in the tea". Again this is my way of expression. Whatever I say,  believe me,  it was good.




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