Sencha - Tencha Blend

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Steamed Tea Background Information:
Steamed teas like sencha are 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, and 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 needle shapes which unfold more attractively as infusions progress. Shincha (meaning new tea) is tea that has been picked during the first harvest of the year – in spring. Later harvests have drastically lower amounts of amino acids (which give us umami and sweetness) and higher catechin levels (astringency and some bitterness). After harvest the tea is steamed straight away to halt oxidisation, and will then go on to be dried and rolled through various processes, finally being fired (hiire) to further dry the leaves to under 5% moisture, and impart the final taste. Some Japanese green teas are made from blends of different cultivars or regions, and some are single cultivar (similar to coffee/whisky). Blends are created by tea masters who taste many teas and then choose a selection to combine for a desired final taste that is easier to replicate year after year by adjusting the cultivar ratios. Single cultivar teas show the drinker how that year’s particular harvest was for that cultivar, as easy year can be quite different. This allows the drinker to build up a mental profile of that cultivar’s characteristics with time, bearing in mind there will also be large influences from the region/terroir and the specific farmer and producer’s growing and finishing methods.

Notes For This Particular Tea:
This tea is a blend of cultivars from the producer based in Hoshinomura, Yame, Fukuoka, picked during the 2022 spring season. In addition to sencha, this special tea also contains tencha – the leaves which are usually stone-ground into high grade matcha. Tencha leaves are shaded from the sun 16-30 days before harvest, interrupting photosynthesis and preventing the amino acids in the tea (responsible for umami and sweetness) from changing into catechins (which taste astringent and a little bit bitter). Grown the same way as gyokuro, after harvest they are steamed and dried but whereas gyokuro leaves are rolled together, tencha undergoes a final drying in a special oven (Tencharo) which gives tencha its characteristic flakiness. Enjoy the flavour of sencha with the smell of tencha in this blend.

We have found that this blend of sencha and tencha benefits from higher brewing temperatures compared to sencha alone which is quite sensitive to high water temperatures, but it is important to use a shorter brewing time as detailed in our recommended brewing method below. Nevertheless, feel free to experiment if you have this tea at home!

Hot brewing guide:
Sencha 2 grams
Water 60ml
First infusion 80°C for 30sec
Second infusion 85°C for 20sec
Third infusion 90°C for 10sec

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 light, air, heat, moisture and strong smells - these will degrade your tea. Best consumed within 1-2 months from when it is first opened.