Sencha Tea

What Is Sencha Tea?

Sencha is the most widely drunk green tea in Japan; like all true teas, it is made from the leaves of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). What sets it apart from many Chinese green teas is that, right after harvest, the leaves are steamed rather than pan-fired to stop oxidation.

This steaming keeps the leaves a vivid green and gives the tea a fresh, herbal, slightly marine character. It has thin, needle-like curled leaves; brewed at the right temperature it is refreshing and slightly sweet, but bitter if brewed wrong (too hot).

Nutritional Value of Sencha Tea

Plain brewed sencha tea is almost calorie-free as a drink; it mainly contains caffeine and natural plant compounds found in green tea. Unless sugar is added, its contribution to a meal's calories is negligible.

How Should Sencha Tea Be Considered?

Since sencha contains caffeine, caffeine-sensitive people and evening consumption may warrant caution. As part of a balanced fluid intake, it is a drink consumed for its taste and freshness.

This information is general; sencha tea is a drink, not a substitute for medical treatment.

How to Choose Sencha Tea?

Good sencha consists of leaves that are vivid green, thin-needle curled, clean and smell fresh-herbal. Products that have faded to brown, become powdery or smell stale have lost their freshness.

• Leaves should be vivid green and thin
• Should carry a fresh-herbal scent
• Faded and stale products should not be bought

How to Store Sencha Tea?

Sencha is stored in a sealed, light-blocking container, in a cool and dry place; since green teas lose their freshness quickly, it should be consumed within a reasonable time. It is kept away from moisture and odors, and a cool place is preferred for long storage.

Using Sencha Tea in Brewing

Sencha is brewed with hot water and drunk; it is also consumed cold-brewed (iced sencha). Its herbal-fresh character makes it a plain green tea drunk throughout the day; the same leaves can be brewed a few times.

How Is Sencha Brewed?

Sencha is brewed not with boiling water but with warm water at around 70–80 °C, for a short time (about a minute); this brings out its herbal freshness and prevents bitterness. Water that is too hot and over-brewing make the tea bitter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is sencha brewed with warm water?

Boiling water quickly releases green tea's delicate compounds, giving a bitter taste; warm water instead preserves sencha's fresh-herbal and slightly sweet character.

Are sencha and matcha the same?

Both are Japanese green teas but differ; sencha is brewed as leaves, while matcha is drunk by whisking the powdered leaves of specially shade-grown plants into water.

What does sencha tea taste like?

It has a fresh, herbal and slightly sweet-refreshing taste; when brewed correctly it is lively and balanced, and can be bitter when brewed incorrectly.