experimenting...

Oct 07, 2005 2 Replies

I'm mostly a coffee guy. I've been home roasting since I was a teenager, using a closeable pan on the stove top. I like tea, but certainly wouldn't call myself knowledgeable.



I've always admired the taste of japanese green tea.



I spent a little time in the archives looking for information about toasted rice in green tea, to see if anyone had information about doing it yourself. I found several references, including suggestions to try grains other than rice. I had some winter wheat, so I tried that. pretty nice.



the green tea I'm using is temple of heaven gunpowder. I know that gunpowder has a bit of a bad reputation especially if overdone. I'm learning to not do that... ; )



so for kicks today I did a roast where I got the wheat medium brown and threw the gunpowder in and roasted it a bit more. I'll say it's a learning experience more than a breakthrough. it tastes OK, but nothing like green tea, and the wheat didn't get dark enough to have much flavor.



the gunpowder leaves did quite a bit of uncurling.


Try it instead with some inexpensive Bancha. Gunpowder doesn't have much of a Japanese flavor.

--crymad

neither does wheat.

I'm not trying to replicate a particular thing or tradition. I'm just exploring flavors.

but point taken- bancha shouldn't overpower the toasted flavor as much as the gunpowder does....

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