Sencha

Ingredients

Tea

• 6 gsencha leaf, about 2 heaped teaspoons

Water

• 180 mlwater, filtered and soft if possible

Equipment

• a kyusu, the side-handled Japanese teapot
• three small cups
• a yuzamashi, or an extra cup for cooling water

Optional

• a kettle with temperature control

Directions

1. Boil the water fully first, then cool it, which is the traditional sequence.
2. Pour the boiled water into the cooling vessel, then into the cups, then into the pot. If you have a temperature-controlled kettle, set it directly and skip the pouring.
3. Put the leaf in the kyusu and pour the cooled water over it gently.
4. Pour gently down the side rather than crashing onto the leaf, which bruises it. One minute for the first infusion, timed.
5. Fill each cup only a third, then go back and top them up, and repeat until they are all equal. That back-and-forth pouring is called mawashi-tsugi and it exists because the tea strengthens as it pours.
6. Drain every drop out. Water left sitting on the leaves keeps extracting and the second infusion will be bitter before it starts.

Technique

• Fukamushi sencha is steamed longer, gives a cloudier, deeper cup and brews faster.
• Gyokuro is shade-grown and brewed cooler still, at around 50 to 60°C.
• Sencha loses freshness quickly and should be kept sealed, cool and away from light.

Substitutions

• Any small teapot with a fine mesh, in place of a kyusu.
• A thermometer, if you would rather not judge by transfers.

Variations

• Fukamushi, deep-steamed.
• Mizudashi, cold-brewed for hours in the fridge.
• Genmaicha, sencha blended with roasted rice.

History

Nagatani Soen invented the steamed sencha process in Uji in 1738, replacing older powdered and pan-fired teas as the national daily drink.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sencha?

Sencha is a drink from Japan: steamed green leaf tea, grassy and slightly astringent, Japan’s everyday cup. Nagatani Soen invented the steamed sencha process in Uji in 1738, replacing older powdered and pan-fired teas as the national daily drink.

How long does Sencha take to make?

Sencha takes 2 min of preparation and 1 min of cooking. The recipe makes 3 small cups. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Sencha?

Yes, within limits. Any small teapot with a fine mesh, in place of a kyusu. A thermometer, if you would rather not judge by transfers.

What is the most important thing to get right in Sencha?

Pour gently down the side rather than crashing onto the leaf, which bruises it. One minute for the first infusion, timed.