Solan & Suntory Water Experiments

Hello! The Tea Potato this week! And nothing has caught on fireplace. We are going to all the time contemplate {that a} win.

The Waters

Now we have one thing particular in the present day for water. No, it’s not the Suntory Pure Mineral Water. Don’t get me mistaken, it’s a improbable water. However we’re continuously coping with Japanese water in these weblog posts. Slightly, we even have on deck Spanish Water within the type of Solan de Cabras from Cuenca, Spain, in a wonderful blue bottle. I’ve by no means had the chance to play with Spanish water earlier than. Enjoyable reality, I ordered this tea on-line after which promptly discovered it in an area grocery store. To be honest, the Suntory water is particular as properly. A lot of the tea festivals that I’ve had the chance to attend throughout my time in Japan, I’ve seen that the Suntory bottled water is the water of alternative. That must be a great signal, proper?

Anyway…TADA! Mineral Content material!

Wait a minute…What’s happening over there, Suntory?

Science Nook

Suntory’s mineral content material could look complicated, however realistically, it’s most likely probably the most correct itemizing out of all of the waters that now we have explored. When Kirin says that their water has 13 mg/L of calcium, does that not really feel a little bit…too correct? Pure mineral waters come from…properly…nature.

Time of 12 months, quantity of rain, even deforestation may cause a change within the mineral content material. A examine has proven throughout monsoon rains in India that there’s a rise within the quantity of carbonate within the runoff.

“At excessive runoff, the residence time of water is brief, inflicting a rise within the proportion of carbonate to silicate derived ions. In distinction, within the dry season, the residence time of water is longer, allowing a larger proportion of silicate dissolution, relative to carbonate.” (Tipper, 2006)

It is sensible that the mineral content material adjustments with excessive runoff, with extra water flowing from the bottom into the streams. So the mineral content material of a river, proper after it rains, is way totally different than the mineral content material of the river after a number of weeks with no rain. Aquifers, springs, floor water could all be affected to totally different extents, however all are affected. That implies that the time at which an organization bottles their water determines the mineral content material of the water. In fact, firms can’t verify and reprint new labels each time the bottle water so as an alternative they’ll typically simply listing one quantity. So Suntory’s vary represents the actual world far more.

It’s not simply bottled waters that may have a variable mineral content material primarily based on the climate, even faucet and properly water are affected by these adjustments as properly. So in the event you discover that tea, well-known to you, is tasting totally different, and you employ properly or faucet water, maybe the climate has modified the composition of the water.

Sencha of the Earth

Solan de Cabras brews a vibrant, however sinking vegetal be aware, that is available in robust and leaves shortly. There’s a minimal quantity of umami, simply sufficient to say that there the umami exists, however that’s about it. Nonetheless, on the backend of the sinking greens and the umami arises a protracted final floral, breathy flowery, be aware with just a bit little bit of astringency.

Suntory water takes that floral be aware from the backend and brings it to the forefront the place it’s vibrant and uplifting. A slight and nice bitterness helps carry the floral notes increased and longer. The brilliant vegetal notes are right here as properly, dandelion greens. Suntory brings out extra umami the place it’s near the identical degree because the bitterness.

 

Amber Hojicha

Wow, that’s candy. Solan de Cabras creates a really candy hojicha, toasty sugared walnuts, nearly caramel. Nonetheless, the a lot of the caramel flavors dissipates pretty shortly abandoning a sweetness. A sweetness that truly will get sweeter because it cools, one thing that hasn’t been actually seen in a hojicha in these experiments.

Suntory shares some similarities with Aqua Panna final week the place there’s robust fragrant end. Wealthy, full taste of toasted and roasted notes with an previous vintage wooden furnishings base taste. Very clean with no bitterness or astringency.

Pine Needle Wakoucha

Solan de Cabras created conflicting acorn squash and hay notes, each of which combat forwards and backwards with each other. The hay notes are available first, however then the acorn squash is available in, and the flavour goes forwards and backwards in a means that’s not very nice. It’s a curious state of affairs, as a result of at different instances, akin to with Kuju’s Mineral Water, the umami and bitterness travel, but it surely’s a way more nice expertise. The after style of the battle lingers as properly for fairly a while. However, it’s not bitter in any respect.

Suntory’s water has the acorn squash and hay notes as properly, however they aren’t in battle. The hay be aware is vibrant and powerful with a slight squash be aware on the outskirts of the flavour. Clean,  and I might nearly  be satisfied that there are fruit notes. I don’t assume there are fruit notes, but it surely’s shut sufficient to think about. Blended within the hay notes, there are some inexperienced pepper notes as properly.

Gokou Matcha

Solan de Cabras produces a really clean Gokou Matcha, so clean in reality, that it’s bland. There isn’t a bitterness nor astringency. The first flavour is that of a rocky minerality with only a contact of rock sugar sweetness concerned, however even these flavours disappear nearly instantly. Total, a really flavorless matcha.

Suntory fares significantly better than  Solan de Cabras with the Gokou Matcha. Grassy notes linger a little bit longer with a little bit little bit of bitterness added to the after style. The matcha feels slightly darkish, however there’s a powdered sugar sweetness on high of all the things. Wisps of fruit notes pop out and in, nothing robust, however positively there, fruit notes that I’ve had issue getting from the matcha with different waters.

 

 

Questions

Query 1: Do you assume bottled water firms ought to put up ranges on them like Suntory, or is a “consultant” worth adequate?

 

And with that, now we have come to the top of the water comparisons. Now we have made our means via eight totally different waters with 4 totally different teas, for a complete of thirty-two totally different brews, which has been…various tea. One thing I’ve talked about earlier than, however wish to stress as soon as extra(and possibly will once more subsequent week), that the intent behind this has by no means been to seek out the “greatest” water for these teas. I believe it’s been fairly clear when a water actually sparks my curiosity (Kuju, I’m taking a look at you), however that’s simply my opinion. This week Solan de Cabras brewed a pine needle wakoucha that I used to be not a fan of. However you would possibly like it. Slightly, it’s simply to indicate how a lot the water you employ to brew makes a distinction within the taste of the tea.

However, there’s yet one more week remaining, the place we will probably be testing yet one more water. One water that hasn’t been current all through this that’s doubtlessly a very powerful water to check.

 

Query 2: What water do you assume that’s?

Water Experiment 1: Evian & Kirin Mineral Water from Shizouka

Water Experiment 2: Crystal Geyser & Onsen Sui 98

Water Experiment 3: Pure Mineral Water from Oita Prefecture and Acqua Panna from Italy.

 

Sources Used:

Tipper, Edward T., Mike J. Bickle, Albert Galy, A. Joshua West, Catherine Pomiès, and Hazel J. Chapman. “The Quick Time period Climatic Sensitivity of Carbonate and Silicate Weathering Fluxes: Perception from Seasonal Variations in River Chemistry.” Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta 70, no. 11 (2006): 2737–54. doi:10.1016/J.GCA.2006.03.005.

Wang Q, Qu Y, Robinson Okay, Bogena H, Graf A, Vereecken H, Tietema A and Bol R (2022) Deforestation alters dissolved natural carbon and sulfate dynamics in a mountainous headwater catchment—A wavelet evaluation. Entrance. For. Glob. Change 5:1044447. doi: 10.3389/ffgc.2022.1044447