Japanese Shincha

Our first tea is a delicious Japanese shincha. Japanese green tea differs from the Chinese variety in the way it is prepared. Where Chinese teas are roasted after picking, the Japanese variety (sencha) is flash steamed for 15-20 seconds to halt oxidation. The result is a very light, crisp flavour reminiscent of fresh leafy green vegetables. Shincha refers to tea that is picked at the very beginning of the season which gives the tea very mellow and refreshing tones. Overall, this is a very high quality tea.

To prepare this tea, the ideal temperature for the water is 70C. This means when small bubbles start to form at the bottom of the pot when boiling. It can also be achieved by letting boiling water cool for about 2 minutes. 1 tsp of tea per cup is enough to be re-brewed 3-4 times. Using 70C water ensures that the tea will not overstep so the leaves can be left in the cup or pot without turning bitter.

What was you impression of the tea?