Sencha - Asanoka

Sencha is one of the most traditional types of Japanese green tea. There are three main types of sencha; asamushi (light steamed, ~15seconds), chuumushi (medium steamed, ~15-45seconds), fukamushi (deep steamed, ~45+seconds). Lighter steamed teas tend to produce a golden yellow colour. Deep steamed teas however can produce vivid green colours usually with a thicker texture. Due to the longer steaming time, the leaves are mostly broken and fragmented with many small particles, meaning we consume more nutrients (and caffeine!). Asamushi sencha leaves are mostly intact, rolled into thin needle shapes which unfold more attractively as infusions progress. Sencha is a delicate tea and is sensitive to hot water temperatures - because of this, please remember to cool the water down for the first two infusions if you want to enjoy the umami flavour.

This is a single field, single cultivar Asanoka sencha which was grown in Kagoshima by Mr and Mrs Komaki. Kagoshima is on the bottom part of the Kyushu island of Japan where the climate is warmer and more hospitable for tea. It is from the spring (first) harvest 2021 and has been processed as a deep steamed tea, so the liquor will begin as a light pale green and develop into a deep green as the infusions progress, and more tea particles make it through into the cup.

Sencha has a variety of tasting notes; umami (savoury), amami (sweetness), shibumi (astringency) and nigami (bitterness). For high grade senchas like this you can try a pre-infusion using a very small amount of ice water at 5-10°C for around 20 seconds, using roughly 2.5 times the water than the tea (experimentation is encouraged!). This can give a good introduction to the umami flavour of the tea while extracting minimal bitterness and astringency, but bear in mind that depending on the brewing duration the later infusions may contain less umami flavour. In this way, water temperature can be used to control the taste of the tea. If you prefer a combination of the savoury umami with some astringency and/or bitterness, you can try higher temperatures (around 70-85°C).

Please experiment to find your personal brewing preference. A good starting point is listed below:

Hot brewing guide:
Sencha 3 grams (~1 teaspoon)
Water 55ml
First infusion 60°C for 45sec
Second infusion 70°C for 20sec
Third infusion 85°C for 0sec

Cold brewing guide:
Sencha 12 grams
Water: 800ml for 6-12 hours
Spring or filtered water is recommended (specifically we look for a TDS of 30-80 - if you’re in the north of england tap water should be fine, and if you’re in the south you are probably familiar with water filters already). Simply pour the tea leaves on water and keep in the fridge overnight, or for 6-12 hours. Avoid vigorous handling/shaking. We use an ice and water mixture so that the brewing temperature is around 6 degrees celcius from start to finish, but forgoing the ice is absolutely okay. The duration of the brew can be experimented with to find your personal preference and when you are happy with the flavour, strain and dispose of the leaves. Consume within 24 hours.

Storage:
Store in a cold environment (6-10°C) and avoid exposure to sunlight and air - both of these will degrade your tea. Best consumed within 1-2 months from when it is first opened.