There will be a a marked difference in flavor when deviating from the traditional method, and it would be a shame to ruin such a nice tea. Meaning that you will again need to boil water, pour it into empty cups, wait for it 2 minutes, then add the water to the teapot and let it steep for 1 minute and 30 seconds. My name is Alexandra, and this site is born from my love for tea and coffee. The tea leaves are harvested and sundried for up to … Matcha is a fine, vibrant green powder that has been stone-ground, while sencha is the loose leaf that has been steamed and rolled. The oxidation step, which is customary for the Chinese process, is skipped here. Usually, sencha tea is picked with the stem, shoot, and two or three opened leaves intact (more leaves are intact if picked by machine). Yes, Sencha is very different from Matcha. It’s definitely not for everyone, and especially so because there is no sugar added to this tea. Then, pour the slightly cooled water into the empty teapot. Bancha leaves tend to be picked in three periods varying between June and October, with the tea leaves becoming less desirable in each harvest. I’ve grown up with tea, and discovered coffee only in college. It’s a bit lower in quality, but still good. Fukamushicha contains leaves from the Sencha, Gyokuro, Kabusecha, and even Bancha processes that are deep steamed providing a deeper color and brew. Place the teapot’s lid back on, but leave it ajar. This can be done either by hand or by a machine, but the end result is the same. Antioxidants of sencha fight free radicals that cause oxidative stress in the body. Brewed Green Tea vs. Matcha Green Tea Powder. For example, younger leaves and buds contain more caffeine than older mature leaves. June 12, 2017. Since Matcha green tea is grown in the shade, it retains more of its caffeine content. They have a wholly different way of going about brewing green tea, especially compared to the Western style. The teapot itself should be able to hold enough water for all the cups in the set. This site is owned and operated by Ciuraru Dragos PFA, and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you’re a green tea fan then you’ve definitely heard of Sencha. While Sencha often comes in rolled loose-leaf form, Matcha is a fine, stone-ground powder. It is able to maintain its sweet flavor because of the high levels of theanine, an amino acid that forms by shading the tea leaves from the sunlight about three weeks prior to harvest. It’s steamed for longer than Asamushi, and the leaves develop a dark, bright green color. Then, Sencha is a full leaf tea, while Matcha is a powdered green tea. The classic Japanese green tea. When re-steeping you should add just as much water as before, but you won’t need another round of Sencha leaves. When you roll the leaves, it also helps release all the juices inside of the leaves, thus intensifying the flavor. Steaming the leaves is a relatively short process, and it ensures the leaves do not oxidize after being processed. Sencha is grown in direct sunlight, and tends to be harvested in the first or second flush of leaves. As autumn rolls around, the leaves change flavor dramatically and aren’t really great for green tea. A major difference between Tencha and Gyokuro is that after it is harvested and cultivated, the Tencha does not go through the rolling process. Green tea gets its name from the natural green color of the leaves that the plant grows and green tint of the brew. Green tea is different from black and oolong tea because green tea leaves are picked and steamed raw, avoiding the oxidation process that leads to oolong and black teas. From Leaf To Powder, Matcha Explained, 12 Green Tea Health Benefits (Backed By Science), Green Tea VS Herbal Tea – 5 Differences Between Two Very Old Teas, 5 Easy Ways To Make Green Tea Taste Better (A Guide To Flavoring). A lightly rolled, cylindrical tea leaf that’s going to be left to dry out and preserve its shape. For most cases, the leaves used for Sencha are sun grown. Though it's similar to matcha in that they are both Japanese green teas, there are actually quite a few differences between the two. Matcha vs sencha benefits. Sencha green tea will usually have around 20-30 mg of caffeine per cup, an average amount for green tea. It’s the Japanese green tea that’s got everyone hooked, and it’s a little more affordable than Matcha. Elevation is important, and you’ll often find tea farms on high slopes. Its probably still a good idea to use your usual SPF, but green tea … Each Sencha is a little different from the other, depending on the batch and the year and general growing conditions. Depending on other factors such as growing methods, harvesting time and processing, that amount may be lower or higher. It might seem like a lot, but keep in mind that you’ll steep them again, with another round of water. I hope you’ll enjoy these articles at least as much as I enjoy writing them for you. Because Tencha does not undergo the rolling process, the larger leaves release high levels of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Shincha is harvested during the first flush of a plant, and normally hold a bitter taste. The total volume of the teapot is 20 oz/591 ml, and it has 4 cups. There are many different types of Green teas that offer different types of health benefits. Its caffeine content also makes it a healthier alternative to coffee. Once picked, they’re sent to be steamed and further processed. Bancha is the second harvest after the first flush has been taken for Sencha, then regrown. The result is a delicious nutty taste. It is the baseline for which all other green teas are measured. Like oolong tea, green tea is native to China. Also, make sure to add 30 seconds to the full minute of steeping. Sencha and its brewing method are really a beautiful thing. What you could do is use a glass jar/pot, and use a strainer. To start, as mentioned before, sencha is grown in the sun, but matcha is grown in the shade. There’s a lot of tradition behind this beautiful green tea, and there’s really a lot to admire about it. Konacha is a cheap tea since the leaves are essentially filtered out bits of other types of green tea, and does not have to be cultivated itself. Once the water is boiled, pour it into the empty tea cups. Make sure to measure out how much water fits into each cup, and how many cups you’re serving. Use a timer for this, since it matters a whole lot. There is also a different Sencha name for the first harvest – Shincha, or Ichibancha – meaning ‘first tea’. Photo courtesy of Japanese Green Tea Company This means the leaves are heat treated with steam, instead of firing them or baking in an oven (Chinese method). Sencha ( 煎茶) is a type of Japanese ryokucha ( 緑茶, green tea) which is prepared by infusing the processed whole tea leaves in hot water. The difference between this type of green tea and Matcha, is that Funmatsucha does not get shaded from the sunlight, therefore enduring more photosynthesis, giving this tea a much more bitter taste. 100% Money Back Guarantee | High-Quality Tea | Free Shipping | Superior Customer Service, 10 Different Types of Green Tea You Need to Know About. Providing natural caffeine accompanied with a sweet, thick taste, this Green Tea powder when mixed with hot water is commonly drank to fight illnesses in the family. After the first harvest, the leaves will grow back as the plant continues to grow. Depending on what kind of Sencha you’re using, it might be a lighter or deeper green. Matcha powder is … The farming of green tea has spread throughout Asia creating different varieties and strains of green tea. But I have a hard time picking a favorite between the two. Instead of steaming the freshly picked leaves, Chinese green tea farmers pan-fry the leaves, which flattens and dries out the leaves, but also makes the leaves more stiff than the Japanese green tea. And more interesting ones like the wonderful Genmaicha. If you’re wondering if you could use a regular teapot for this, the answer is no. What is Green Tea? There are many other means in which we differ between different types of green tea, but here are a few different types of Japanese green tea. This of it as kind of a white tea, in  terms of how delicate and light it is. Consuming it in large quantities can be detrimental to health. Secondly, the two teas differ in terms of the conditions in which they are grown in: loose-leaf Sencha is often grown in direct sunlight while Matc… Meaning that each cup can hold about 5 full oz/150 ml of brewed tea. During the rolling and shaping process some leaves may get broken, but this is not an issue. Konacha is essentially the bits of filtered out buds from the Gyokuro and Sencha processes. Fukamushicha goes through the same process as Sencha, but the difference comes when the normal Sencha leaves are removed and the Fukamushicha leaves continue to be steamed for three to four times longer. Sencha, or loose leaf green tea, is the most popular kind of tea in Japan. Sencha is a type of sun grown Japanese green tea. Halting the oxidation process is the first step in green tea harvesting, but there are different types of this step as well.Â. It’s the most popular green tea in Japan, and one of the most common types of green tea you’ll find on the market, when looking for a Japanese green tea. Difference #4: Caffeine & L-Theanine. This process provides a richer flavor and surprisingly has soothing effects on the stomach due to its light flavor. It comes from stems that go through the Gyokuro process, and is known for its yellow brew. Shade-grown green tea has higher levels of caffeine. After the shading, harvesting, and steaming, the leaves are then air-dried, removed of stems and veins, and then ground into a powder to be brewed. First, Sencha tea leaves are grown in the sun, while Matcha leaves are grown in the shade. However in many ways the similarities stop there. The full leaves provide large levels of natural caffeine and provides the nutrients to improve the metabolism. Click on an image below to visit the respective section on our shop Gyokuro Kabusecha Sencha Bancha Sencha itself has a wide definition as tea leaf that is picked when young, steamed, rolled, and dried. Sencha Tea vs. Matcha. Another difference is that Sencha is infused, and you only drink the liquid. It is removed from sunlight three weeks prior to harvest, and then after harvest the leaves are steamed, air dried, and removed of vines and stems. Fukamushi means "Steamed for a long time". Rolling the leaves gives them their needle-like shape. Known for its use in Japan’s formal tea ceremony, this is a powdered form of Tencha tea. Green tea is made using the leaves of the same Camellia sinensis tea plant that are used in other true teas including oolong tea, white tea and black tea. Although both matcha and sencha leaves must first be steamed to prevent oxidation, they are harvested and processed very differently. Sencha green tea is a safe beverage but it can have its own set of side effects. It is instead made up of small bits of leaves that are filtered out during the processing of Gyokuro or Sencha. Each winter, the tea plants undergo a process like hibernation. Sencha green tea contains antioxidants, beta-carotene, calcium, catechins, folic acid, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin C that may only be found in nutrient-dense leaves. This is the first harvest, and it’s always been noted that it’s the best in terms of flavor. Aside from containing antioxidants which help to fight free radicals and reduce the risk of certain diseases including cancers and dementia, there are many other benefits to drinking green tea regularly: It’s also possible that this was the ancient way of brewing Sencha, and it’s become the traditional way, like other tea customs. Measure out 2 grams/1 teaspoon of Sencha for each person/cup. Kukicha is the remains left over from the production of Sencha, Gyokuro, and matcha teas, meaning it comes from good harvest, but is the mixed stem and stalk remains of these processes. Chinese sencha, which is typically roasted, has lower levels of caffeine than most Japanese green teas. But Sencha is the standard. I recently ordered a pound of genuine Japanese Sencha Green Tea from Harney & Sons (who turn out to be a long bike ride away at the Millerton end of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail), having had entirely enough of the rather bitter Chinese Sencha from the local grocery store.. The green tea leaves of the first harvest, shincha, make the highest quality tea for a given year. When brewed properly, sencha is not highly acidic. This tea is good to drink before and after exercise to awaken and rejuvenate the body. Vitamin C is key in treatment of the common cold and boosting the immune system, and is perfect for fighting off a cold in the winter. Guess which one is which: Japanese vs Chinese Sencha Green Tea. When the tea leaves are picked, they are immediately exposed to oxygen and begin the fermentation process. And so on until the last harvest, which us usually the 4th. Beginning with our previous list, I will now describe the health benefits of each of these teas offers your body. Despite being green tea, it’s not as easy to brew as you might think. It is less expensive than Dragonwell tea and readily available in America. However, this means that when brewing Sencha you’ll need to give it plenty, plenty of room to unfurl as the leaves are larger than other green teas. Genmaicha can be produced using a base of sencha, bancha, or other Japanese green tea although it is traditionally produced with a bancha base. That’s the closest you can get to the traditional method, in terms of heat transfer and flavor. Some say it’s a bit like seaweed, but not in a bad way. It comes in several colors, and all variants are painted with the Japanese lucky cat motif. It’s got more nutrients and a little more caffeine than Sencha, and this is due to two things: being a shade grown tea. Amounts of water and Sencha for 4 people is 2 grams/1 whole teaspoon per person, and as much water as each cup can hold. Because of this process, Gyokuro is able to contain large amounts of caffeine and chlorophyll, ingredients that stimulate the brain and nervous system, as well as stimulates healthy skin and tissue growth. This way the tea leaves will cool down, and won’t be extracted by the remaining steam. In the case of green tea, farmers steam and roast the newly picked tea leaves, preventing the oxidation process from occurring and stopping any fermentation from happening. But generally, Sencha has a deep, green flavor – almost vegetal. Compared to Sencha, Bancha is much more bitter. Because this is a mixture of three different high quality tea processes, Kukicha has a light fragrance and flavor that provides relaxation and allows one to wake up feeling refreshed and ready. Here is where the difference in growing methods (see #1 above) really matters. I hops this post helped you better understand Sencha and it’s delicate features. The whole process of drinking Sencha is more of a ceremony than a casual thing. We’re going to be looking at matcha powder vs. sencha loose leaf to see which one tastes better and which is better for you. It’s the freshness of taste and savory umami flavor that make a fine sencha. The first step is to boil the water, bringing it to 100 C/212 F. This is important, because the whole process of brewing Sencha relies on the water cooling down for s specific amount of time, in order to get to 80 C/176 F. If you’re wondering why you can’t just use water that’s already 80 C/176 F, it’s because the teaware needs to be hot, before we even begin brewing. Leaves are steamed instead of pan-fired, Western style brewing will yield a poor result, How To Store Matcha – Keeping Your Tea Powder Fresh, 4 Differences Between Matcha And Green Tea You Need To Know, How Is Matcha Made ? This type of tea is more similar to white tea than black tea. A uniquely Japanese tea is genmaicha (also known as Gen Mai Cha or Popcorn Tea). This bright green powder when mixed with hot water provides very high amounts of natural nutrients, rejuvenating healthy skin and cleaning the body. Most of the time, the leaves remain intact and large enough. Individual regions add their own flavors and production strengths. You’ll note that the process is very similar to regular green tea, except there is no oxidation involved, and the heat treatment is very, very different. Green tea tends to come from the first flush (first harvest), tending to come around early to mid spring. You can read a more extensive breakdown of the different types of … This tea has a very strong aroma, and although the health benefits are not vast, this tea is wonderful for visitors, cooking, or food accompaniment. There’s two types of Sencha available, and here they are: Asamushi Sencha is the lighter, more delicate version. When harvesting the tea leaves, only the youngest and most delicate ones are harvested. This means that to brew a damn good cup of Sencha, you’ll need both the tea (the best you can find), and the tools. 8 Things To Know About The Japanese Jade Dew, Sencha VS Matcha – 7 Differences To Tell Them Apart, 2. The results were clear: Matcha green tea has significantly more EGCG than Sencha green tea from China. Green tea is made by infusing green tea leaves in hot water. The difference that immediately stands out would be the price: bancha is always cheaper than sencha. Not even a little, as you’ll notice when we discuss the production of Sencha. Gyokuro has a sweet flavor, making it a much sought after tea. It is more pungent than the Matcha green tea. This means that the tea plants are grown like any other crop, out under the open sky. It uses the Camellia sinensis tea plant, like most other teas. Also, Sencha is meant to be enjoyed like the Chinese Gong Fu – steeping for a short amount of time, then repeating the process. Although Camellia Sinensis is the plant that all types of tea originate, the process of which it is harvested and processed defines what type of tea will be produced. This results in a better tasting green tea, and a definitely green brew color. After the minute has passed, you can pour out the tea into the empty cups. You can find the Amazon link for this ceramic tea set right here, and check the reviews as well. The first difference between these two green teas is their texture and shape. You’ll notice that Sencha is different from most other green teas around the world, because it’s processed in the Japanese fashion. Once the leaves have been harvested, they’re brought in to be steamed. Once springtime rolls around, the plants become active again and start to produce new growth. That’s why you’ll find articles both on coffee and tea, respectively. If you want to know more about coffee or tea, feel free to check the related articles below. What makes Konacha special is that it can actually be roasted into Houjikonacha, diluting the bitterness and providing a more robust flavor. Tencha is made very similarly to Gyokuro Tea. Unlike matcha, sencha is made from tea plants grown in full sun, which gives the tea a darker color and more astringent flavor. Sencha Green Tea. Sencha is an everyday tea that tastes slightly sweeter than other green teas. For example, Japanese and Chinese green tea differ in the steaming process. Matcha tea powder isn’t brewed or infused. Fukamushi Sencha- Fukamushi Sencha is the same as Sencha but it is steamed two or three times longer. Think of the seaweed used in sushi. Tencha is great for boosting energy and metabolism. This helps them keep their flavor, and makes sure you get the best product possible. Using a regular teapot, which is thicker and has no filter, will alter the water temperature in a way you can’t foresee. Here’s a brief introduction to Japanese Green Teas: Sencha. Continuing with a ground tea, Funmatsucha is known for its cheap price and bitter flavor. Who knows what else you might find ? Another difference is that Sencha is infused, and you only drink the liquid. Let all cups of water sit for  exactly 2 minutes. Also, it’s never an oxidized tea. But do we really know what type of green tea we are drinking? Where Matcha is flavorful, umami-like, and slightly sweet the Sencha is more seaweed-like, and has a definite green taste, a bit bitter at times. Yup, Japanese on the left, Chinese on the right. Green tea is best known for its health benefits and usage stemming from the ancient Chinese dynasties. Anticancer Properties. Sencha tea is known for its health benefits, including its ability to fight chronic diseases, aid in weight loss, protect the immune system, increase energy, and stimulate cognitive activity.This popular form of green tea makes up approximately 80 percent of the tea produced in Japan, a major tea-drinking nation.. What is Sencha Tea? Once the leaves are fully steamed, they will need to be rolled. Sure there are fancier ones like Gyokuro. Both matcha and sencha are very popular types of teas, so we thought we would compare the two. Difficult to distinguish between bancha and Sencha are very popular types of Sencha rolled, cylindrical leaf... 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