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Sencha
Green Tea
"Sencha" (pronounced "sen-chŭ") is the
name of the most popular of all of the green teas in Japan.
It's name actually means "common tea" and is
a staple in most Japanese households.
Sencha, however, is everything but!
Sencha is by far my favorite and it's probably why I started
with it first! It has a very light bitter taste along with a slight
sweetness. Lower quality Sencha tea is called
Bancha. Over seventy five percent of all tea grown
and harvested on Japanese tea plantations is Sencha.
This green tea preferred because of it's tanginess and fresh qualities
complemented by a leaf of high uniformity and deep emerald
hue. Sencha was once prepared by roasting but today Sencha
is steam treated before further processing with hot-air
drying* (see article on the
right) and is finally pan-fried as a final step.
Sencha is also referred to as I-chi Ban Cha, or "the number
one pick".
Where Sencha is grown:
Most arable regions of Japan grow a number of different
kinds of Sencha and they are commonly named according to the
kind of processing used. Needle leaf Sencha is processed in
Shizuoka and in the Yame region of Fukuoka. In other areas,
including Kyushu, the comma-shaped leaf form is processed.
Popularity of Sencha:
Sencha is the most common type of green tea grown in Japan. It is made from the young leaves of uncovered plants. Over
three quarters of all tea produced in Japanese tea gardens
is Sencha. It is the green tea most likely to be offered in a
Japanese household or restaurant. The higher grades of
Sencha are widely available both in and outside of the
borders of Japan. Most of the Sencha grown in China is
grown especially for export to Japan because of it's high
popularity.
Qualities of Flavor and Aroma:
The flavor, color and quality of Sencha varies,
depending not only on origin but also season and leaf
processing practices employed. Later harvests of Sencha have
more bitter and astringent qualities, a more robust flavor and
a less pronounced aroma than those harvested earlier in the
growing season.
The earliest season Shincha (the first
month's Sencha harvested crop) is available is in April in
the southern regions of Japan, and is highly prized for its
high vitamin content, sweet taste and superior flavor.
After that first crop is harvested it is believed that the
soil has been leached of a sufficient amount of nutrients to
degrade the taste of the rest of the seasons crops.
Types of Sencha green tea:
Sencha
l
Shincha
l
Genmaicha
l
Kabusecha
l
Kamairicha
I
Hojicha I
Konacha
Shincha
Shincha tea represents the first years
harvest of Sencha. Over three quarters of all tea produced
in Japanese tea gardens is Sencha, a tea selected for its
pleasant sharpness and fresh qualities complementing a leaf
of high uniformity and rich emerald color. Today Sencha is
steam treated before further processing with hot-air drying
and finally pan-frying.
Where Sencha is grown:
Most regions make a number of different kinds of Sencha,
which are named according to the various methods of processing used. Needle leaf
Sencha is processed in Shizuoka and in the Yame region of
Fukuoka. In other areas, including Kyushu, the comma-shaped
leaf form is processed.
Popularity of Shincha: Available for a limited time
during the first crop of tea it is popular in Japan and is
available in only limited amounts outside of it.
Qualities of Flavor and Aroma:
The earliest season Shincha (first month's Sencha harvest)
is available in April in the south of Japan, and prized for
its high vitamin content, sweetness and superior flavor.
Genmaicha
Genmaicha is the Japanese name for green
tea combined with roasted brown rice. It is sometimes
referred to colloquially as "popcorn tea".
Processing: Genmaicha is a blend of bancha green tea
and Genmai (roasted rice grain). The proportioning of tea to
rice is important, the more aromatic Genmaicha teas have a
higher amount of rice. Other blends are known including
Matcha and Genmaicha. The tea can be infused with high
temperature water and for longer infusion periods than most
Japanese teas.
Where Genmaicha is grown: Produced in almost
every tea-producing region.
Popularity of Genmaicha: A very common beverage in
Japan, Genmaicha can be drunk late into the evening without
disturbing sleep. The tea is said to help digestion, and is
often served after a meal in Japan. Genmaicha are seen as a
modest source of
vitamin B1 and like bancha and hojicha
contain less caffeine.
Qualities of Flavor and Aroma: The flavor of
Genmaicha is a mixture of green tea and roasted rice. The
roasted aroma of genmai in tea has the effect of lightening
the bitterness of the lower grade sencha. The brown rice
gives the tea a nutty flavor. Like green tea, genmaicha
should be prepared using hot, but not boiling, water.
Kabusecha
Unlike most Sencha cultivated in un-shaded
gardens exposed to direct sunlight, Kabuse-cha Sencha
requires shading tea plants a few weeks prior to harvest.
Special nets (Kabusé) are hung over the plants to obtain a
natural shade without completely letting out sunlight.
Qualities of Flavor and Aroma:
Kabuse-cha Sencha has a mellower flavor and more subtle
color than Sencha grown in direct sunlight. The taste is a
little sweeter and has a particularly fresh and "shady" or
"fruity" aftertaste. To steep one should use lower water
temperatures (about 65-70°C) with pure water.
Where Sechibaru is grown:
Grown in Sechibaru located in the hills north of the town
where tea is grown to an elevation of up to 450m. Kabusecha
is mostly prepared in the Kagoshima district and is called
"The champagne of Japanese green teas" by some.
Popularity of Sechibaru:
Produced in very limited amounts, it may be hand harvested
and the best of the crop is costly.
Kamairicha
Kamairicha teas do not undergo the usual
steam treatments. After a short withering, they are fired in
hot iron pans of up to 300°C with repeated agitation to
prevent charring. The different rolling techniques used
produce teas of different leaf form. Kamairicha is processed
as a pellet or a flat leaf.
Regions: Several southern regions are known for making fine
Kamairicha. Sechibaru and Ureshino are two of the most
respected for their pan-fried manufacturing process.
Popularity of Kamairicha: Kamairicha is generally not
available in the West, however a few specialist tea
merchants are making this tea more well known.
Qualities of Flavor and Aroma: This Kamairi process
develops sweet, mildly roasted flavors, which are very
similar to the pan-fried teas produced in China today. It is
sometimes referred to as ‘Chinese green tea’ by the Japanese
because of the pan-frying process utilized.
Hojicha
coming soon
Konacha
coming soon
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