Yamamotoyama Matcha Genmai Cha, 2.20 Pound

Ume (梅) in Japanese means "plum" and is the symbol of a very superior quality and for "something that is naturally admired". At harvest (1 plucking) only the young, tender, immature leaves are selected for Sencha Ume.Update: Two months later I am still drinking this tea and am still very happy with my purchase. Will buy again, great deal. I just hopet he price won't go up.I am a daily green tea drinker, I have been drinking at least 5 large cups of green tea a day for at least 20 years. I've had all kinds, from $400 dollars for 100 grams to Bancha which is a lower quality green tea with lots of sticks. After hearing about all the health benefits, I started drinking green tea from tea bags, when I had it at a sushi restaurant I realized that leaves is the only way to drink it. At first I started buying the cheapest green tea leaves I could find, but as you try better quality tea, it is very hard to go back to the cheap stuff. For the last five years or so I've been buying Sencha from my local Japanese store, about $10 bucks for 150 grams seemed reasonable for the rate of tea I drink, I go through about 3 bags of this tea a month. The main difference I've noticed is that the cheaper Sencha has a bunch of sticks floating after brewed and is more bitter. As you go up in quality you get a lighter green color, more grassy, and no floating sticks at the top of the cup, overall a smooth cup of tea. I do not use a strainer when I drink, I use about a teaspoon per cup and wait until the leaves drop to the bottom.After doing a lot of research on Amazon, I was hesitant to buy tea online, but after getting confirmation form a coworker that he buys quality tea online, I decided to give it a try. I looked at every bulk green tea offered on Amazon, my criteria was quality and good value. I purchased Yamomotoyama tea in the past and have had good experience with this brand this is why I decided to go with this product. I received the tea in about 3 days. I would rate this tea on par with what I've been drinking daily. This is a good quality tea and is a great value, about an 8 out of 10. The leaves are broken up and are not large as some have stated, but the tea itself tastes great. If you drink it right after brewing this is tea is on part with the quality stuff, but it does get bitter after it gets colder. You could probably just put less leaves, I've also rebrewed the same leaves a few times. I am looking forward to making this tea my daily staple and plan on purchasing more in the future.