“Sencha” is a type of green tea and a term used to describe the way how to drink it. It is the clear, golden or jade colored tea that Japanese people drink. It is an essential drink for Japanese people as an accompaniment to their daily life and as an expression of hospitality.
About Sencha, What Japanese drink everyday
Sencha originally meant “boiled tea”, and in a broader sense it includes gyokuro and bancha. There is a wide range of flavors depending on the quality of the tea leaves, origin, harvest time, variety, heating and blending. Sencha makes up 80% of Japanese tea. The ideal sencha has a clear golden liquor, a harmonious aroma and flavor, and a refreshing aftertaste. Although sencha has a long history, it is said that it took until the early Meiji period for the technique of making tea of uniform shape and colour to take root. As tea making techniques developed, the quality of the tea improved.
Characteristics of Sayama Sencha
Sayama tea is characterized by a soft and gentle aroma, a sweetness that spreads quickly on the tongue and a rich taste. It is also easily recognisable by the color of its liquor compared to other regional teas. Many of the delicious teas are produced with the traditional ‘golden’ color. In recent years there have been many fukamushicha teas with a darker color and a lighter taste to suit the tastes of Japanese consumers, but the higher grade teas are still sold as sencha with a yellowish liquor. There is also a culture of hand-rolling tea, but the amount produced is very small due to the time and effort involved. If you ever get the chance to drink hand-rolled tea, don’t be afraid to try it!
How to Make a Nice Cup of Sencha
Sencha, which is the majority of Japanese teas, varies in taste depending on the region, harvest time, variety and production technique. The best way is to brew the tea according to the instructions on the package, but often this is not written. This article explains the standard brewing process to give you a guide. Sencha can be steeped in warm water or brewed quickly in hot water, depending on the quality of the tea leaves.
How to Brew Premium Sencha
The fine and expensive teas are brewed at a slightly cooler temperature of 70°C/158°F to 80°C/176°F at the highest. Green tea should be brewed at the temperature that is best for each leaf to bring out its aroma and flavor.
Servings per person
- 2.5 – 3g tea leaves
- 80-120ml hot water
- Steeping: 1-2 minutes
This is a basic guide for making fine sencha, and you can adjust the type of tea leaves and the number of people you serve to suit your taste. If you are using fine tea leaves, even a small amount of tea leaves will be enough to bring out the full flavor.
The different temperatures at which sencha is brewed and how the taste changes
We have recorded the changes in taste and aroma of the same tea leaves as they were steeped at the same temperature. The emphasis was on bringing out the sweetness, taste and aroma.
- 2g Fine Yabukita Sencha tea leaves
- 150ml Hot water
- Steeping time: 70 seconds
The ideal temperature for brewing high grade sencha is lower than 80 degrees centigrade and other types of sencha is higher than 80 degrees centigrade.
80 degrees Celsius (176°F) – Higher temperature
As the tea leaves are steeped at 80 degrees centigrade, the components of tea leaves appear to dissolve quickly. For high grade tea leaves, however, the bitterness of the tea is too strong and the taste of the tea is not as sweet as it should be at this higher water temperature.
75 degrees Celsius (167°F) – Delicious temperature
At this temperature of water, the tea was the most fragrant, the sweetest and had the best balance of astringency and bitterness. When high grade sencha was steeped at this temperature, the aroma that flowed into the mouth at once was wonderful. The tea is not too hot and not too lukewarm, and it is refreshing.
70 degrees Celsius (158°F) – Lower temperature
Although it is a good temperature to steep the sencha leaf, the concentration of the fragrance seems to be diluted by a difference of 5 degrees. The bitterness and astringency were less pronounced, but the depth of flavor of green tea was less apparent.
Change the temperature of the water used for the same tea according to the purpose
From the above it can be seen that the taste of the same tea varies with the temperature of the water in which it is steeped. If you understand the difference in water temperature, you can deliberately brew your tea at a higher temperature to enjoy the bitterness. We recommend brewing sencha at a higher temperature to wake you up in the morning. The caffeine content is higher and the bitterness of the tea makes it an enjoyable wake-up drink.
Find out more about Sencha
Origin and history of the word Sencha
Around 800 A.D., during the Heian period (794-1185), a tea culture known as the “Sencha Method” was introduced from Tang China. However, “sencha” did not mean the tea leaves soaked in hot water and brewed, as is the case today, but rather “boiled tea” at that time. This was a method of brewing tea that follows the original meaning of the word “senjita (boiled)”.
Before the further development of sencha, in the 1100s during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the “tencha” method of drinking powdered tea was introduced from China. This was the beginning of the Matcha culture that has developed to the present day.
In the late 1600’s A.D., during the Edo period, the tea culture of the “brewing tea method” was introduced from Ming China. This was the method of brewing tea that we enjoy today as “Sencha”.
