Collection: Sencha

What does "Sencha" mean?

Sen means "infusion" and cha means "tea" in Japanese. So "sencha" means an "infused tea" and, as a name says, sencha represents Japanese tea.

What determines the flavor of sencha?

Sencha is the most popular tea among Japanese teas, but not all sencha are the same. The quality and taste of sencha will vary depending on the following factors: growing area, tea cultivar, harvest season, manufacturing process, and brewing technique.

 Generally these factors apply to the other teas as well.

Growing area

The area in Japan where the tea is grown is the first element affecting the taste. Here are some famous sencha tea producing areas in Japan: (from north to south) Sayama, Shizuoka, Mie, Uji, Kagoshima, and Yame. As with other agriculture, the different areas offer different weather and soil resulting in different flavors.

Tea cultivars

While all tea is made from the same tree, Camellia sinensis, there are a number of different cultivars. A cultivar is basically a variety of plant that has been created or kept intentionally through cultivation. Take apples, as an example. There are Pink Lady apples, Fuji apples, Granny Smith apples, etc.

In Japan, there are 108 cultivars of Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, that have been registered. Some names are Yabukita, Yutaka‐Midori, Sayama‐Kaori, Kanaya‐Midori. Depending on the cultivar, a tea can have a different cup color, flavor, aroma, and body feel from teas of a different cultivar. Sometimes, the name is used for its product itself. 

Yabukita is widely used, accounting for 80% of Japanese tea production because it has a very good flavor and is resistant to diseases.

Harvest Season

The harvest season is also a big factor affecting quality. The best quality green teas are produced in the 1st flush or harvest in Japan. For the 2nd and 3rd flush, the quality becomes lower.

The tea plant is hardy with lots of energy and there are generally 3 to 4 harvests during the picking season. In April or May, new buds are flushed when the weather becomes warm.

After the first harvest, new buds reappear in about a month. There is another harvest and the cycle repeats itself. There is only a month or so between each flush until autumn. During the winter the plants go dormant and during this hibernation the tea tree builds up much nutrition from the land. In the spring, the first new buds have all the nutrition from the 6 winter months and they are full of flavor. That's why the first flush tea is the best quality.

In some unique tea gardens, they only produce premium Sencha. They pick first flush tea and then the tea bush is cut back so it cannot flush new buds again during that season. The following year, since the new leaves have been soaking up nutrients the whole year, the tea that is picked has a lot of flavor.

Manufacturing Process

 While there are several processes in producing Sencha, roasting and blending are the most important ones in determining flavor. Blending stabilizes the quality. There are many types of the leaves; one has good flavor, one has a nice aroma, and another has a good color and shape. An experienced tea‐taster specifies and blends different teas together for a harmonious taste, flavor and color.

 Roasting is another process much like roasting coffee. Note that this roasting process is not as deep of a roasting as it is for Houjicha. This kind of roasting is more like a light roasting, which adds a nutty flavor to the grassy, green tea flavor.

Each company has its favorite roasting technique. Some opt for a weaker roasting, some stronger. You probably have experienced that some senchas taste very grassy while some are a little more matured in their flavor. The roasting does not determine the quality of tea so, ultimately, the best one is the one with the flavor you like.

Brewing technique