Sencha

Sencha (煎茶; literally 'infused tea') is a Japanese green tea (緑茶, ryokucha) made by steeping whole, processed tea leaves in hot water. This differs from matcha, a powdered green tea that is whisked into water, leaf and all. Sencha is Japan's most popular tea, accounting for roughly 80% of the country's tea production.

Among Japanese green teas prepared by infusion, sencha is set apart from varieties like gyokuro (which is shaded for a longer period) and bancha (harvested later in the season). Its flavor varies by season and growing region. The most prized is shincha, or 'new tea,' from the year's first harvest. During winter, tea plants store nutrients, and the tender spring leaves that emerge are rich in these compounds. The shincha season runs from early April to late May, specifically the 88th day after Setsubun (around February 4), a traditional start of spring in Japan. Drinking sencha at this time is believed to bring good health for the year.

The ideal brewed sencha has a greenish-golden color. Water temperature greatly affects its taste: cooler water yields a mellow flavor, while hotter water produces more astringency. Some varieties, when steeped, expand and resemble leafy greens in smell, appearance, and taste.

Japanese green tea production differs from Chinese methods. Chinese green teas are pan-fired, but Japanese sencha is first steamed for 15 to 20 seconds to prevent oxidation. The leaves are then rolled, shaped, and dried, giving them their characteristic thin cylindrical form. Finally, they are sorted by quality. This steaming step gives Japanese green tea a more vegetal, grassy (sometimes seaweed-like) flavor, a greener infusion, and slightly more bitterness than Chinese-style green teas.

**Caffeine content:** Sencha contains about 20 to 30 milligrams of caffeine per cup, though this varies with brewing temperature, time, and leaf-to-water ratio (higher temperatures extract more caffeine). Dry leaf measurements show superior sencha at 31.01 mg/g and deep-steamed sencha at 26.70 mg/g. When brewed, superior sencha (6g in 170mL water at 70°C for 1 minute) yields 305.30 mg/L, while deep-steamed sencha (6g in 260mL water at 90°C for 1 minute) yields 373.70 mg/L.

**Types of Sencha:** - **Jō Sencha (上煎茶):** Superior sencha. - **Tokujō Sencha (特上煎茶):** Extra superior sencha. - **Hachijūhachiya Sencha (八十八夜煎茶):** Harvested 88 days after the start of spring (risshun). - **Kabuse Sencha or kabusecha (かぶせ茶):** Shaded for several days (fewer than gyokuro) to increase amino acids like theanine, producing a milder flavor and subtler color. Special nets (kabuse) are hung over the plants. - **Asamushi (浅蒸し):** Lightly steamed. - **Chumushi (中蒸し):** Steamed for 30–90 seconds. - **Fukamushi (深蒸し) or Fukamushicha:** Deeply steamed for 1–2 minutes. - **Shincha (新茶) or ichibancha (一番茶):** First-picked tea of the year, known for its fresh aroma and sweetness. It is distinct from nibancha (second-picked) and sanbancha (third-picked). - **Karigane sencha (雁が音):** Includes stems and other plant parts along with leaves, possibly from gyokuro or sencha plants. - **Matcha sencha:** A blend of sencha with matcha powder.

**Senchadō (煎茶道):** The formal art of enjoying sencha, typically involving high-grade gyokuro.

**See also:** Baisao (regarded as the first sencha master), Japanese tea, Tea culture in Japan.