Japanese TeaGuide
Sencha: Japan's Everyday Green Tea and How to Brew It
Sencha (煎茶) is Japan's most common tea. It's a green tea grown in full sun, steamed right after picking, then rolled and dried into fine, dark green needles. Expect a grassy, fresh cup with a savoury (umami) note and a light, pleasant astringency. The biggest difference between styles is steaming time. Light-steamed asamushi gives a clear, delicate, aromatic cup, while deep-steamed fukamushi is cloudy, thick, sweeter and greener. Brew sencha at 70–80 °C for about a minute (20–30 seconds for fukamushi) and pour out every last drop.
Why sencha turns bitter, and the easy fix#
Brew it like a Chinese green tea in a glass, with water at 85 °C and the leaves left sitting, and sencha turns bitter and harsh. Boiling water makes it worse.
The fix is cooler water and a short steep, in a small pot you can empty completely. Get those right and the same leaf tastes sweet and savoury, with a bright edge.
Brewing sencha step by step#
| Leaf | Water | Time | Re-steeps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asamushi | 4–5 g per 150 ml | 70–80 °C | 1 min | 2–3, shorter |
| Fukamushi | 4–5 g per 150 ml | 70–80 °C | 20–30 s | 2–3 |
| Cold brew | 10 g per litre | Cold | 3–6 h in the fridge |
- Cool the water. Pour boiling water into the cups, then into the pot. Each pour drops it about 10 °C.
- Steep without moving the pot.
- Pour out everything, alternating between cups so each gets the same strength. The last drops are the richest.
- Re-steep with slightly hotter water and a shorter time.
A kyusu with a fine filter is ideal, especially for fukamushi and its fine, broken leaf.
Asamushi or fukamushi? Steaming time decides#
Sencha is picked mainly in spring, and the first flush, shincha, is the most prized. The fresh leaves are steamed to stop oxidation and keep the green colour. They're then rolled and shaped in several stages while drying, and finally dried, sorted and blended.
Of all those steps, steaming is the one that sets the style.
| Asamushi (light) | Chumushi (medium) | Fukamushi (deep) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steaming | Short | Medium | Long |
| Leaf | Whole, needle-like | Mostly whole | Broken, fine, powdery |
| Liquor | Clear yellow-green | Light green | Cloudy, vivid green |
| Taste | Delicate, aromatic, a bit astringent | Balanced | Thick, sweet, less astringent |
| Steep time | 1 min | 45–60 s | 20–30 s |
Fukamushi is especially associated with Shizuoka. Its cloudy cup is the point of the style, not a fault.
How sencha tastes next to a Chinese green#
Steaming keeps sencha grassy and a little marine.
| Dry leaf | Fine, glossy, dark green needles |
| Liquor | Yellow-green to vivid green |
| Aroma | Fresh grass, spring greens, a hint of the sea |
| Taste | Grassy, savoury, lightly sweet, gently astringent |
| Finish | Clean, fresh |
Pan-fired Chinese greens such as Longjing go the other way, towards toasted chestnut.
| Sencha | Longjing (Chinese) | |
|---|---|---|
| Kill-green | Steamed | Pan-fired |
| Shape | Fine needles | Flat blades |
| Taste | Grassy, marine, umami | Nutty, toasted, chestnut |
| Water | 70–80 °C | 75–85 °C |
Nor is sencha the same as matcha. Sencha is leaf tea; matcha is powdered shaded leaf. The wider comparison is in Chinese vs Japanese tea.
Buying it fresh and keeping it that way#
Sencha fades fast, so freshness is most of what you're paying for. When you buy, look for these.
- First flush (ichibancha, shincha), which is the best.
- A stated region, such as Shizuoka, Kagoshima, Uji or Yame.
- Deep green, glossy needles with little dust (in fukamushi, fine leaf is normal).
- A fresh, grassy smell. Hay-like means old.
- Small, sealed packs.
At home, keep it airtight, dark and cool. An unopened pack can go in the fridge, but let it reach room temperature before opening to avoid condensation. Once it's open, drink it within a month or two. The general rules are in how to store tea.
Sencha is the best way into Japanese tea. Buy a fresh spring asamushi and a fukamushi, brew both side by side, and you'll understand Japanese green tea in one sitting. Then carry on with my Japanese tea guide.
Questions people ask
What is sencha?
Japan's everyday green tea: steamed, rolled into needles and grown in full sun.
How do you brew sencha?
4–5 g per 150 ml at 70–80 °C for about 1 minute; 20–30 s for fukamushi.
What's the difference between asamushi and fukamushi?
Asamushi is lightly steamed and clear; fukamushi is deep-steamed, cloudy, thicker and sweeter.
Why is my sencha bitter?
Water too hot or steep too long.
How many times can you steep sencha?
Usually 2–3 times.
Keep reading
Japanese TeaGuide
Japanese Tea: A Guide to Sencha, Gyokuro, Matcha and More
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Kyusu: The Japanese Teapot Explained
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Hojicha: Japan's Roasted Green Tea
Hojicha is Japanese green tea roasted until brown: toasty, nutty and caramel-sweet, with almost no bitterness and often less caffeine per cup than sencha or matcha. Brew it near boiling for 30–60 seconds.
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Kabusecha: The Half-Shaded Tea Between Sencha and Gyokuro
Kabusecha is Japanese green tea from bushes shaded for about one to two weeks before harvest: sweeter and more savoury than sencha, fresher and more forgiving than gyokuro. Brew it at 60–70 °C for about a minute.
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Genmaicha: Japanese Green Tea with Roasted Rice
Genmaicha is Japanese green tea mixed roughly half and half with roasted rice, some grains popped like popcorn: toasty, nutty and mild, with very little bitterness. Brew it at 80–95 °C for 30–60 seconds.