Sencha tea
Sencha tea
Today, domestic tea consumption in Japan is showing a decreasing trend, and a large portion of young people are no longer even familiar with "classic" tea and its traditional preparation.
Sencha is a true Japanese genre and, despite the fact that it is also made in China, with a little experience, it is possible to distinguish the two well.
When we visited, we experienced that a Japanese tea processing plant is always very clean and tidy, and processing has to be very fast and efficient because the raw material is sensitive. We always had to wear slippers and hairnets during factory visits, and in Kagoshima, the procedure involved multiple hand and clothing disinfection.
Speaking of cleanliness... The warehouse of the Kagoshima tea auction. One of the signs that you are in Japan: the trucks are sparkling clean from the chassis to the cab.
Buy Sencha tea
Its main characteristic – freshness – must be protected! Several aspects of this can be revealed at the time of purchase.
Industrially processed tea is noticeably lower quality compared to limited batches made by smaller producers and processors. When buying, it is worth paying attention to where and how the tea is stored! If the trader takes the Japanese green tea from a refrigerated place, that can be a good sign. Feel free to ask for information: when it was picked, where it comes from, what plant variety it is made from, how it was transported.
If it is measured from open bags, perhaps in the sun, or offered alongside flavored teas, don't expect too high quality. Better quality teas are sold in vacuum-sealed bags.
After opening at home, do not refrigerate, as the condensation will spoil the taste and aromas and reduce the shelf life.
How to choose Japanese sencha tea?
We mostly rely on the expert's recommendation! Let us tell you what kind of flavor we are looking for: fresher, more citrusy, lighter, perhaps more tart, or sweeter, more dense. Based on this, you can start exploring the world of Japanese teas.
Over time, as we get to know more varieties, it will become easier to choose – whether based on tea region, tea type, or plant variety.
Japanese tea regions – surprisingly numerous and diverse, also due to the differences between north and south.
Processing of sencha tea
In Japan, farmers grow it, and factories or merchants process it into aracha , the semi-finished tea. Shiage-cha is the final, selected tea that we buy in stores. After picking, the leaves are quickly processed: steamed, rolled, and dried.
During the processing, several stages of twisting occur, at the end of which the leaves take on a needle-like shape. Interesting fact: about 5 kg of fresh leaves will produce 1 kg of finished tea.
How to make Japanese sencha tea at home
- Water quality: soft, low in minerals (e.g. spring water or Norda bottled water).
- Water temperature: 60–80 °C (sweeter at lower temperatures, more tart at higher temperatures).
- Soaking time: first pour 1–1.5 minutes, second about 30 seconds, third 1 minute.
- Tea/water ratio: more leaves → stronger tea, fewer leaves → lighter brew.
- Leaf quality: the better, the more infusions it can produce.
- Tools: shiboridashi, hôhin or kyusu pot. It is worth keeping a separate tool for green teas.
