Shizuoka Green Tea from 7-11

    Like many, I am not getting out and about as much as I used to, which is why I was thrilled to find this Shizuoka green tea at a 7-11 near my home. At right around 500 yen for 100 grams, it's not too expensive and happened to be the only Shizuoka green tea on the shelf in leaf form, so I grabbed a bag.

    The bag brags that this product was farmed under JGAP conditions which includes a focus on sustainable farming as well as occupational safety and environmental protection. Human rights welfare is also a part of the standards according to the website. I am thinking of it kind of like fair trade green tea from Shizuoka.

    Putting in the customary 5 grams or so, I added water and let it steep for a few minutes. When I checked on it later, I came to realize a significant amount of leaf debris in the bottom of the cup despite the drink otherwise having a lighter coloration than many similar teas. The cup was still a bit hot to handle, so I let it cool before imbibing.


Round one: Fairly translucent and watery at five grams and probably around two minutes of steeping time.
 

    When I finally got around to drinking it, I found it a bit bland and more watery than I was really comfortable with. Considering how hot the cup was when I stopped steeping, I assumed this was probably personal error and tried again with a second cup, letting it have a full five minutes to sit with a tiny heaping spoonful of leaves, likely around 6 or 7 grams.

Round Two: Darker and more opaque at around seven grams and five minutes of steeping time, but what about the flavor?

    The second batch was a lot darker in appearance, confirming that I had shortened the time too much with my impatience in the first round. While the cup was still too hot to hold much less drink, I spent a moment staring through the somewhat more opaque beverage and noticed that the tea sediment was still visible, just a little less obvious.

    Drinking it while still a bit hotter than I would have preferred, I noticed the flavor was much improved in that it was much more present. I no longer felt like I was drinking oddly colored hot water with a tinge of green tea flavor. This had the flavor, but the umami was hidden deep within the drink. I suggest long steeping times for this one as it seems to need a little help in releasing its inner goodness.

This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.