Sencha煎茶
The everyday Japanese tea, and the one Japan produces most of. Leaves are steamed right after picking to stop oxidation, then rolled and dried. Balanced between brisk and savory — and highly sensitive to water temperature.
How to brew
- Leaf
- 4–6 g (for two)
- Water
- 120–180 ml
- Temp
- 70–80°C / 158–176°F
- Steep
- 60 sec
- 2nd
- Hotter (80–90°C / 176–194°F) for 10–30 sec
How it is made
Leaves are steamed to halt the oxidizing enzymes, then rolled and dried. That steaming step is what separates Japanese green tea from Chinese green tea, which is pan-fired instead. Ordinary steaming runs some tens of seconds; fukamushi (deep-steamed) is defined as at least twice that, and the actual timing shifts with the equipment and the leaf. Steamed deeper, the leaf breaks down further, so the liquor is deeper and the astringency softer — and the finer particles clog a teapot strainer more easily.
Flavor
Astringency (catechins) and savoriness (theanine) pull against each other. A young, leafy aroma lifts off the cup and a light grip stays in the finish. Brew it cool and the savory side leads; brew it hot and astringency and aroma take over. Getting two different drinks out of one leaf is the appeal.
Where it comes from
Worth knowing
The leaf is already open by the second infusion, so it gives up its flavor faster and turns astringent if you steep it as long. Use hotter water but cut the time hard.