# Sencha

**Canonical URL:** https://teas.co.uk/wiki/sencha-explained/
**Source:** teas.co.uk, UK tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

## Summary

Sencha buying reads five named-detail signals; region, harvest, cultivar, steaming style and pack vintage; the proper substance check.

## Description

Sencha, in summary: Sencha buying reads five named-detail signals: region, harvest, cultivar, steaming style and pack vintage, the marks of real substance.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for Sencha. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/sencha-explained/
Sencha is the green tea most Japanese people actually drink daily; here is the short version. This sits in the named tea cluster beside gyokuro.
Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in May 2026.
What it is

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for What it is , Sencha. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/sencha-explained/Steamed (not pan-fired) Japanese green tea. The steaming is what makes Japanese green distinct from Chinese green; see steamed fixing. Steaming gives sencha its fresh, vivid green, marine-vegetal, brisk character, while pan-firing (the Chinese method, as in Longjing) produces a nuttier, mellower cup.
Fukamushi (deep steamed)

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Fukamushi (deep steamed) , Sencha. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/sencha-explained/Standard sencha is lightly or medium-steamed; fukamushi (deep-steamed) sencha has a longer steaming time, giving a fuller, greener, less astringent cup. Common in Shizuoka. Both styles are sencha; the steaming duration is the variable.
How to brew it

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for How to brew it , Sencha. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/sencha-explained/Cooler water, around 70-80°C, and a short steep (60-90 seconds for the first, 30-45 for the second). Boiling water makes it bitter and spinach-like, and that is the most common reason good sencha disappoints. Watch the first steep rather than timing it loosely; sencha is quick to over-extract.
Cultivar and freshnessMost sencha is the yabukita cultivar (around 70% of Japanese production), which gives a well-balanced, moderate-umami, everyday-drinkable cup. Named single-cultivar senchas (Saemidori, Okumidori, Samidori) are premium alternatives. Freshness matters more for sencha than almost any other tea: the volatile aromatics that give it its vivid character oxidise within months of production. A pack with a named harvest year and vacuum or nitrogen packaging is worth more than vague "Japanese green tea" in a plain tin.
In short: sencha buying signals

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for Sencha. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/sencha-explained/
SignalNoteNamed Japanese regionUji, Shizuoka, Kagoshima, Yame; the meaningful provenanceNamed harvest periodShincha (early May), ichibancha (first), nibancha (second)Named cultivarYabukita (typical), Okumidori, Saemidori, Samidori for premiumNamed steaming styleAsamushi (light), chumushi (medium), fukamushi (deep)Pack vintageHarvest year on pack; sencha goes stale within monthsStorage formatVacuum-packed or nitrogen-flushed; freshness signalPrice tier signals£5-£10/100g everyday; £15-£25/100g premium; £30+ top-tierAvoidVague "Japanese green tea" with no named-detail; marketing-only
Common questions

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Common questions , Sencha. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/sencha-explained/
What makes sencha different from other green tea? Steaming rather than pan-firing gives it a bright, marine-vegetal, grassy character instead of the chestnut-nutty mellowness of Chinese greens.
Why does my sencha taste bitter? Almost certainly the water temperature. Boiling water extracts harsh compounds rapidly. Brew at 70-80°C; a brief rest after boiling is enough.
What is fukamushi sencha? Deep-steamed sencha: longer steaming creates a fuller, greener, less astringent cup that can handle slightly hotter water without the same bitterness risk.
How fresh does sencha need to be? Very fresh. The volatile aromatics that make a good sencha vivid and bright degrade within months at room temperature. Check for a harvest year on the pack; vacuum-sealed is best.
Quick take

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Quick take , Sencha. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/sencha-explained/Sencha is the everyday Japanese green standard: steamed for freshness and marine-vegetal character, quick to deteriorate if stored poorly, and destroyed by boiling water. Buy fresh from a source that prints the harvest year; brew cool. Five named-detail signals on the label (region, harvest, cultivar, steaming style, vintage) indicate substance; "Japanese green tea" alone does not. Explore the green tea range or the full tea shop.
Reference noted

PubMed: Green tea catechins and human health

From the curatorteas · Pick what you'll actually drink every day. A tea you reach for is worth more than a tea you admire. 
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for Sencha. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/sencha-explained/
More from the tea wikiContinue with gyokuro, Longjing (Dragon Well), green tea, kill green (fixing) and how to judge tea quality.

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