Sencha
Sencha is the most popular tea in Japan, accounting for almost 80% of the tea consumed. Usually the top parts of tea leaves and buds are used to produce Sencha. It is grown in full sunlight and is processed in multiple stages: steaming, kneading, drying, sifting, roasting and often blending. Sencha is noted for its delicate sweetness, mild astringency and flowery-green aroma.
Sencha Zuiko
$20.25
A top-tier Sencha grown at a high elevation. All Zuiko comes from a single tea garden where it is grown under the most meticulous and pampered... more info
Sencha Shin-ryoku
$12.50
Premium Sencha grown at a high elevation in the prestigious tea region of Honyama. Origin: Honyama, Shizuoka Harvest: First Flush Cultivar: Yabukita... more info
Sencha Fuka-midori
$7.75
Our best selling Sencha. This tea best represents our precise blending and meticulous manufacturing process. It is rated best when compared with... more info
Sencha Extra Green with Matcha
$9.25
Blending Sencha with Matcha is very popular in Japan. In some products the blending is done to mask the low quality of the Sencha. Our blend uses... more info
Organic Sencha
$10.75
Our Organic Sencha is carefully and naturally grown at our contracted tea farm in Shizuoka under the strict specifications of JAS (Japanese... more info
What determines the flavor of Sencha?
Sencha is the most popular tea among Japanese teas, but not all Senchas are the same. The quality and taste of Sencha will vary depending on the following factors ‐ growing area, tea cultivar, harvest season, manufacturing process, and brewing technique. Generally these factors also apply to the other teas.Growing Area

Tea Cultivar

Harvest Season

The tea plant is hardy with lots of energy and there are generally 3 to 4 harvests during the picking season. In April or May, new buds are flushed when the weather becomes warm. After the first harvest, new buds reappear in about a month. There is another harvest and the cycle repeats itself. There is only a month or so between each flush until autumn. During the winter the plants go dormant and during this hibernation the tea tree builds up much nutrition from the land. In the spring, the first new buds have all the nutrition from the 6 winter months and they are full of flavor. That's why the first flush tea is the best quality.
In some unique tea gardens they only produce premium Sencha. They pick first flush tea and then the tea bush is cut back so it cannot flush new buds again during that season. The following year, the new leaf has nutrition from a year and obviously has a lot of flavor.
Manufacturing Process

Roasting is another process much like roasting coffee. Note that this roasting process is not a deep roasting as for Houjicha, it is more like a light roasting to add a nutty flavor to the grassy green tea flavor. Each company has its favorite roasting technique from weak to strong and it is up to your taste. You probably have experienced that some Senchas taste very grassy while some are robust and you're not sure which is best. The roasting does not determine the quality of tea so the best one is the flavor you like.
Brewing technique
Brewing loose tea like Sencha takes a little more care than pouring boiling water over a tea bag. Here are two videos which demonstrate a good technique for brewing sencha.
Sencha Brewing
Brewing Tips
Brewing Tips