About Sencha

About Sencha
煎茶

Sencha

Sencha is the heart of Japanese tea culture, representing over 70-80% of the tea produced in Japan. If you've ever been to the convenience store in Japan and bought tea there, then you've likely had sencha!

Sencha is typically cultivated under the full power of the sun, or shaded briefly to make kabusecha. Once harvested, the fresh leaves are immediately steamed, then subjected to a series of rolling and kneading stages, which break down the cell walls and shape the leaves into thin, dark green needles, before finally being dried to around 5% moisture.

Unlike matcha, where the tea leaves are fully ground into powder, sencha is enjoyed by steeping whole, needle-like leaves in hot water.

SHOP SENCHA SENCHA BREWING GUIDE

Sencha Types

Tea Trees
Full Sun

Standard Sencha

Historically, unshaded cultivation is the standard for Sencha production. These leaves are grown under the open sky, increasing the tea's natural antioxidants (catechins), thus resulting in a bright, gold-green liquor with a crisp, refreshing astringency and a classic floral aroma.
Shaded

Kabusecha

Kabusecha ("covered tea") is a more recent trend, where tea leaves are shaded for about a week before harvest. Blocking out the sun prevents amino acids from turning into catechins. This creates an umami-rich flavor profile and a deeper green color, attributes that many customers look for nowadays. Kyoto is a region known for producing high-quality Kabusecha.
STEAMING STYLE
Light steamed

Asamushicha

Asamushi tea is steamed for under 30s, preserving the integrity of the leaf. The result is a pale yellow-gold tea with a clean, elegant mouthfeel. Commonly produced in the Kyoto region, this sencha prioritizes nuanced flavor notes and highlights the natural notes of its terroir.
Deep steamed

Fukamushicha

Fukamushi tea is steamed for over a minute, breaking down the leaf’s cellular structure, thus causing the needles to become fragmented. This results in a thick, cloudy, deep green tea. The flavor is bold and creamy with very low bitterness.

From Leaf to Needle

How do tea leaves become sencha? Here is a quick look at the most important elements that allow our tea leaves to become high-quality sencha. Access our full processing guide →

Steaming

Immediately after harvest, fresh leaves are steamed to stop oxidation. This locks in the tea leaves' color and nutrients.

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Rolling & Kneading

The leaves undergo multiple stages of rolling. This breaks down the cell walls and reduces the moisture within the tea leaves. These rolling stages slowly give the leaves their signature needle shape.

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Drying

Moisture is reduced to about 4-5% to lock in aromatic oils and make the tea shelf-stable. At this stage, the tea is known as "Aracha" (crude tea) before it is refined for final packaging.

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