Sencha

Sencha is one of the Japanese non-fermented green teas, and a highly popular tea in Japan.

The way that Sencha is now made was invented in the
mid 17th century (the Edo period) by Nagatani Soen of Uji in Kyoto. The process that he developed was called the ‘Uji sei Sencha manufacturing method’, which
involves picking only the newest tea leaves, steaming the leaves, and then drying them while rolling them through several stages. Before Soen’s invention,
the normal method of manufacturing Sencha was to steam a mixture of new and old leaves, together with hardened buds, and then dry them. It was dark red in
colour and had a poor flavour.

It took 15 years of research and development for Soen to
establish his innovative method, but interestingly he didn’t promote his new Sencha tea in Kyoto as he thought the place was too conservative for his brand new tea. Instead he went to Edo (Tokyo) as it was a more open place then, and more likely to accept the new flavour. One of the tea merchants in Edo liked the new
tea, and it became extremely popular. His method dramatically improved the quality of Sencha with many tea makers following his method, it becoming the
standard process for making Sencha. By that time tea was not only for the highest in society, but also for everyone in the city, later on with those in the rural areas of Japan as well.

Sencha has a clean taste and is made using tea leaves
grown in plenty of sunlight, allowing you to enjoy a well-balanced flavour and aroma.

Now around 70% of tea made in Japan is Sencha, and it
is drunk both casually and formally. The aroma and flavour does vary, depending on the timing of the harvest and the manufacturing method. Some of the teas are very light and some are packed with Umami flavour. Sencha contains polyphenols, which helps lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Polyphenols also have antioxidant properties, preventing cell oxidation, which can help keep skin healthy.

How to brew a perfect cup of Sencha tea

(To bring out the umami, sweetness and bitterness in a
well-balanced way.) 

1. Pour hot water into a teacup and let it cool. For
high-grade Sencha, let it cool to about 70℃.

2. Put 2-3g of tea leaves per person into the teapot.
When making a single serving, use a little more (4g).

3. Pour the cooled water from the teacup into the teapot and wait for 1 minute.

4. Pour the tea from the teapot back into the teacup and squeeze out every last drop. Shift the lid slightly to let it out, which will prevent the tea from steaming. Thenmake a second brew – it will be delicious. 

5. For the second brew, pour water that has been cooled a little in a cooling pot (water that is a little warmer than the first brew) into the teapot, wait about 10 seconds, and then pour into the teacup.

We have variety of Sencha teas in our store. If you
like Umami, I recommend Satuski from the Yame region. Obukucha is a luxury blend of Sencha and Gyokuro from Marukyu Koyamaen. Reizo Shincha is a wonderful way of enjoying sweetness, and Shirahime has an elegant, sweet aroma and a mellow, deep flavour that is said to be natural Gyokuro.

I always think that producing tea is similar to producing wine. Sencha is something like an everyday wine. It is easy to start drinking in comparison to Matcha tea. I personally drink a cup of Sencha at least 5 or 6 times a day, brewing it in my favourite kyusu teapot and drinking it from my yunomi teacup. It is very different from a tea bag. Loose leaf tea is much cheaper and the quality is much higher than in tea bags. Also, the process of brewing a cup of Sencha tea with your favourite tea pot and cup can be a wonderful relaxation and meditation.