Sencha Tea: A guide
Sencha tea is a totally sun-grown Japanese green tea varietal. It is the most common and popular green tea variety in Japan, accounting for more than 60% of all tea produced. Sencha comes in a variety of cultivars and grades, resulting in a wide range of flavor, quality, and price.
Sencha's final flavor is determined by a variety of factors. These factors include the farm's geographic location, the raw leaf quality, and the ultimate processing method utilized to create the finished product. The final processing procedure is used to grade most teas because the first two criteria vary so much. The length of time the tea is steamed is used to classify the processing method, as most Japanese green tea is steamed. The tea is heated after it is plucked to prevent oxidation. The grades are Asamushi (steamed for the least amount of time), Chumushi (steamed for almost twice as long as Asamushi), and Fukumushi (steamed for nearly twice as long as Asamushi). These three types of tea can assist you to determine that type of taste you like before purchasing.
ASAMUSHI SENCHA - This process is the oldest, traditional process – which is called Asamushi. The tea leaves are steamed for the shortest duration, which is how it was done originally for tea processing. The Asamushi technique is typically employed for higher grades of raw tea since it is more delicate. It features big needle-like leaves on the outside and a light-golden green liquor when brewed. It has a rich earthy flavor and a beautiful scent.
CHUMUSHI SENCHA - This is medium steamed Sencha. Chumushi has been made this way for three centuries. The tea is steamed for 60 to 100 seconds, yielding a pleasant and aromatic tea.
FUKAMUSHI SENCHA - The tea is steamed for the longest duration in this modern version of Sencha tea, this is called the Fukumushi technique. When compared to the conventional Asamushi method, Fukumushi steams the leaves for nearly twice as long. It's a more modern way of tea processing that is frequently utilized for leaves that don't lend themselves to the Asamushi method. Its look is less like needles and more like a coarse powder when compared to Asamushi teas. When the tea is brewed, this powder dissolves, resulting in a dark-green beverage. Fukamushi teas are less bitter and are easy to brew. Due to some of the powder dissolving in the tea, much of the nutrients remain in the tea after brewing, similar to Matcha. The Fukumushi method was developed through many years of experience, and the results have become widely regarded and popular in modern times.
Note: The colour of the brew does not always indicate how rich or profound the tea's flavour will be. Asamushi has a wonderful flavour, and it is used to process many of the highest-quality teas even thgough it has the lighest green color of the three methods of production.
CAFFEINE - Shencha does contain caffeine. The amount of caffeine in sencha varies depending on the variety and brewing duration. In comparison to 80 to 200 milligrams of caffeine in a cup of coffee, an 8 oz (240ml) cup of sencha contains between 15 and 70 milligrams of caffeine.
BREWING - Sencha tea is delicious both hot and cold. We have many Sencha varieties and we have some sencha that is packed specifically for brewing in cold water and drinking as iced tea. Sencha iced is a delicious summer beverage. Regular Sencha is brewed for 30 to 90 seconds in 180°F (80°C) water; in general the larger the leaves, the longer the brewing period. The cold brew Sencha is brewed in cold water and should be chilled in refrigerator to give it time to brew and cool down before enjoying.
