sencha

Sencha is a style of Japanese green tea made from Camellia sinensis leaves that have been steamed. It is the most widely consumed tea in Japan and serves as the basis for many regional blends and everyday drinking.

After harvest, the leaves are quickly steamed to halt oxidation, then rolled and dried. Steaming preserves the tea’s bright green color and fresh, vegetal flavor, which distinguishes Japanese green teas from many Chinese varieties that are often pan-fired.

Sencha includes several processing variants. Lightly steamed (asamushi) sencha yields lighter, more delicate leaves; deeply steamed (fukamushi) sencha produces a denser, greener cup with more body. Harvest-based grades include ichibancha (first harvest) and nibancha (second harvest), with shincha referring to the first harvest’s spring harvest that is marketed for freshness.

Brewing is typically done with water around 60–80 °C and steeping times of 1–2 minutes, depending on leaf quality. Higher-grade sencha is often brewed at lower temperatures to emphasize sweetness and umami, while multiple shorter infusions from the same leaves are common in Japan.

Sencha is a staple of daily life in Japan, enjoyed hot or iced and paired with meals. It contrasts with other Japanese greens such as gyokuro and matcha in cultivation and processing, but remains the most universally consumed form of green tea in the country.