What is the L-theanine in matcha? The velvety fullness of ground matcha blends with Japan’s premium sencha, creating a verdant cup that moves across the palate with energy. Matcha is shaded for at least 3-4 weeks, de-veined and de-steamed, and ground to a very fine silky powder, while sencha is made from the full leaf and has bigger powder particles. Matcha: The Healthiest Green Tea and its benefits I have been very concerned about my health for the last few years. Studies have shown that a regular consumption of sencha tea can effectively boost one’s metabolism, leading to faster weight and fat loss. Loose Leaf. Sencha can be harvested in spring, summer, and fall. **HOLIDAY SALE**YOU CAN SAVE 20-35% December 23 From sencha to matcha, let’s take a look at the green teas Japan has to offer. Other regions like Fukuoka, Mie, and Saitama are producing sencha too, but the yearly output is lower than in the main regions. Yes, sencha is a Japanese green tea, however, Chinese sencha is available too. By drinking powdered tea you are ingesting all nutrients, good or bad. Aracha is messier in appearance and contains steams and veins that are removed in the final stage of processing before tea is sold. It’s very easy to ruin the delicate flavor and bright transparent color of sencha by choosing the wrong type of water. Here's its Top10 Health Benefits. Matcha tea is 10 times more potent than a typical cup of brewed green tea. Why do different green teas taste differently, http://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/agri/attach/pdf/index-1.pdf, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6100455/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1806661, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cha1953/1996/83/1996_83_21/_article/-char/en, Travel with Tea Guide: How to Brew Tea Anywhere, 5 Best Christmas Teas to try this Holiday Season, prevention of some bacterial and virus infections. Green tea has been the subject of many studies. Experienced tea drinkers may tell the cultivar from looking at the leaves, checking the color and recognizing small flavor nuances. Mecha is a type of Japanese tea made from quality sencha or gyokuro buds. Some studies show that because of the way it’s made, matcha may have more of those than loose-leaf green tea. We believe in matcha hot, cold, straight, shaken or stirred! Sencha tea leaves will not expand uncontrollably, so they are suitable for tea filters. This makes a difference in the properties of each tea. The good news is, you won’t need a strainer or any additional utensils. Matcha leaves are covered, shaded for about 3 weeks before harvest. For example, younger leaves and buds contain more caffeine than older mature leaves. Always boil fresh water. Japan uses over 100 cultivars for making different teas, and most of them are suitable for making sencha. The first infusion has a more pronounced sweet and savory flavor. By now the water should be of the right temperature for brewing sencha. This brings into focus powdered sencha tea. The main step in producing sencha is steaming. In fact, the term “matcha” and its pronunciation (maa-chuh) are derived from Japanese words meaning “ground” and “tea.” Matcha is made from the leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub of the Theaceae family. However, scientists still have a long way to go to prove how exactly may green tea actually helps. Free Shipping on Qualified Orders. Voicemail or Text: 479-259-1677 GREEN TEA +C Organic, whole leaf green tea joins forces with vitamin C-rich Acerola cherry Shading tea bushes for about 20 days before harvesting raises the level of amino acids and creates umami or a savory flavor. On the other hand, Japanese sencha is more grassy and usually enjoyed unflavored and unscented. You can even make a matcha face mask and use it in all sorts of ways for beauty and skin care. Genuine Japanese Green Tea directly from Japanese Tea Farm. -Slows signs of aging and reduces appearance of wrinkles. This creates a raw or crude tea aracha. Neither is better nor worse and which you prefer will depend purely on your taste preferences. Lipton® Matcha Tea and Ginger - Matcha Prized For Its Ability, www.lipton.com/Green & Ginger/Matcha Tea Ad. Genmaicha or “popcorn tea” consists of roasted rice and either bancha or sencha. Therefore, a fresh unroasted green tea made of younger leaves will usually have higher levels of caffeine. Matcha tea is a powdered green tea that derives its origins from the Tang Dynasty in China before being popularized in Japan during the 1100s. Stock up on cereal, snacks and more. It can range from subtle to a stronger flavor, with more or less astringency, light yellow to vibrant green color and very sweet aftertaste. Scientists say, “the higher the ratio of water to tea leaves, the higher the extraction efficiency[5]” of catechins. By preheating teapots and cups in the proper way, the water will naturally cool and achieve the proper temperature for brewing sencha. Although specific teas from other countries may have more catechins, the exact numbers are rarely known. HOT or COLD Green Tea, Matcha and Jasmine offering a floral and fragrant flavor of Jasmine leaves balanced with the fresh taste of green tea. plant, meaning matcha is a true tea. © 2020 All Rights Reserved. Sencha green tea is rich in vitamin C. This vitamin stimulates the production of white blood cells that fight off infections. For a proper simplified everyday brewing, you will need a Japanese teapot kyusu, small sencha cups and a kettle. A blend that showcases the health benefits of antioxidants and a prized umami taste. Japanese sencha is the most versatile tea in type in the world. Sencha tea provides a greater amount of vitamin C and vitamin E compared to matcha. About Japanese Green Teas Matcha is the perfect example of the appeal of Japanese tea exploration. Depending on other factors such as growing methods, harvesting time and processing, that amount may be lower or higher. Matcha is a concentrated powdered form of green tea that has been used for centuries in China and Japan. The first infusion should be around 1-2 minutes. While sencha is made my steeping whole tea leaves, matcha is made by grinding up the tea leaves and mixing them with the water. [3] In fact, sencha has more antioxidants than more expensive gyokuro and matcha tea [4]. The weight loss benefit of green tea is definitely well-known in the world, and of course, sencha tea have the same benefit. Sometimes it can be difficult to recognize this type of sencha because leaves can look both less or more steamed. Fukamushi sencha has a very deep, dark green color, with silky-looking leaves, usually very broken. The first sencha of the year is called shincha, and it’s popular for a very refreshing and sweet flavor. [1]http://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/agri/attach/pdf/index-1.pdf, [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6100455/, [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1806661, [4] https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cha1953/1996/83/1996_83_21/_article/-char/en, [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6100455/. Japanese sencha is one of the most important and popular green teas in the world. Make a second infusion a quick one, only a couple of seconds with slightly hotter water. You can ground your own tea at home, but make sure it’s fresh, safe and tasty. Therefore, even though the leaves are very tiny and basically a by-product, their quality is high. Japanese sencha tea is the most popular Japanese tea. -Sun protection that works from the inside out, green tea neutralizes UV light, protecting against sunburns. It’s a low caffeine green tea more suitable for evenings and very popular in macrobiotics. One of the many green tea benefits has to do with the fact that matcha is great for your skin! Want to learn more about green tea? Chinese sencha is most commonly used for making flavored tea because the flavor matches other ingredients perfectly. Both types of green tea offer numerous health benefits, but the nutritional value varies between the teas. The biggest producers of sencha green tea in Japan are Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and Miyazaki regions. Antioxidants can fight free radicals and decrease oxidative stress. Sun exposure increases Catechin compound in green tea leaves, changing Theanine to Catechins. Sencha is rich in nutrients such as beta-carotene, calcium, folic acid, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin C. It … The benefits of green tea come from antioxidants. It’s refreshing but sweeter than regular sencha. It contains tea dust, buds, and small broken leaf particles. Cups should be around 3 to 5 oz. You can use a bit cooler water for lightly steamed teas and a bit hotter for deep-steamed sencha. Leaves are bright, unbroken and look very clean. Fukamushi Sencha is steamed for at least 60 seconds. Shincha literally means “new tea” and it should always be fresh and produced from the very first spring leaves. To become sencha, producers need to refine aracha. Sales@SimpleLooseLeaf.com. Plus, drinking green tea (or any tea, really) is a tasty and soothing way to help you up your daily liquid intake. Taste is similar, although not the same. Quality water is essential for making a great cup of Japanese sencha tea. To allow Yahoo Search to provide better results, please go to, If Safari already has permission, please go to, Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. Gyokuro is a rare and exception Japanese green tea with a very distinctive flavor often described as savory and sweet. Color ranges from very light green to yellow and deep and vibrant emerald green. Although it has a less refined, less sophisticated look, the flavor is still very refreshing and delicious, but with a bit more rawness. However, the main difference between the two is because of the way they are processed, their texture, and consistency. This blend of matcha and sencha combines the best of both worlds - the convenience of a tea bag, with the health benefits of matcha! Sencha is available for purchase in pre-made tea bags too. Simple Loose Leaf is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com. There are a few ways of brewing sencha, a more complicated proper way, or simplified method you can use for everyday brewing. But researchers don’t know yet if that means it has any more health benefits. Sencha can have the name of the region in its name. The fluoride and mineral contents of sencha strengthen dental. Sencha can be divided into three main types: asamushi, chuumushi, and fukamushi. Withering increases fruity and floral flavors, uncommon for Japanese sencha, but common for lightly oxidized oolong tea. Tamaryokucha is a very similar tea to sencha, with one big difference. Matcha, Japan’s celebrated green tea powder and sencha (green tea leaves), offers a rich aroma, vibrant taste and color of Japan’s finest green tea. Green tea will very likely provide most benefits if you are a regular tea drinker and drink 3-5 cups of tea per day. Sencha leaves are grown like pretty much any green tea out there – in the sun, under the open sky. Sencha green tea health benefits … A study published last year says that tea from Japan might have more catechins than green tea from other countries[2]. Roasting can reduce the amount of caffeine in tea and shading will increase it. Not only is the preparation of Self-treating health problems with tea is not advisable and you should always consult your doctor when you plan to change your diet while suffering from serious diseases or taking medication. You will have to drink 10 cups of loose-leaf green tea to get the antioxidants, L-theanine, vitamin C, carotene, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and overall nutritional value you get in one cup of matcha. Learn how Japanese sencha is made, which cultivar is the most popular, what are the benefits and how to brew it for the best taste. Comparing sencha tea to matcha powder is like comparing apples to oranges. Konacha or a sushi bar tea is a green tea type that’s actually a tea production leftover. Made from the entire leaf, matcha green tea's health benefits far outweigh those of traditional loose-leaf green tea. Prevention of heart diseas… Chuumushi is a medium-steamed sencha, usually around 30-60 seconds. Matcha contains the nutrients from the entire tea leaf, which results in a greater amount of caffeine and antioxidants than typically found in green tea. Unlike Chinese teas, almost all Japanese teas are steamed, rather than pan-fired. By-products of sencha production can be used for making other types of tea. Sencha green tea will usually have around 20-30 mg of caffeine per cup, an average amount for green tea. Depending on how you brew it, it can be more or less astringent with a sweet aftertaste and pronounced savory note. L-theanine, a major phytonutrient in matcha, is an amino acid known for its … Sencha contains a very important antioxidant called catechin which helps fight high blood pressure and effective at reducing cholesterol level in blood. Green tea production has a few main steps. However, pay attention it’s not more than 9°F difference from the recommended temperature. When entire tea leaves are consumed, even decaffeinated Sencha green tea powder offers higher amount of Catechins, or EGCG, than Matcha. After plucking, tea leaves go through the same production process as sencha. Use water of around 158 °F. Homemaking, Homeschooling, Homesteading, Home Business and Other Stuff of Life Using enough leaves is not only important for getting the perfect flavor but also determines how much antioxidants will your cup has. Use at least 5 grams of tea per 7 oz teapot. It pays to invest in a good kyusu teapot, as you will be able to use it for almost any type of tea. Green tea contains caffeine and may not be suitable for people sensitive to caffeine. To start, as mentioned before, sencha is grown in the sun, but matcha is grown in the shade. To the first time drinker Japanese green teas like sencha and gyokuro might give a lot more energy than some other green tea types or flavored teas. Sencha is very delicate, so try not using any paper tea filters if you don’t want your tea to have a paper note. This way, you are actually drinking the entire green tea leaf. Every green tea contains antioxidants. You can simply preheat the teapot by pouring hot water in and out and wait for the temperature to lower in the kettle. Almost 60%[1] of all tea produced in Japan is sencha and most of it never leaves the country. This … Therefore, we recommend starting with one cup first to see how you will react. All real teas contain caffeine, even white and oolong. Catechins, or EGCG, is a type of polyphenols, and it is believed to be responsible for green tea health benefits. However, any tea that you don’t really enjoy might bring you more harm than benefits. Cotton filters are a better option. Asamushi is a lightly steamed tea, usually for 20-30 seconds. Some of the benefits that you stand to gain by drinking these green teas include: 1. Depending on the type, levels can be extremely low or very high. Some producers sell only single origin teas, while others blend different types until satisfied with the flavor profile. Kyusu teapots have a fine mesh or ceramic strainers suitable for brewing sencha tea. Choosing Matcha over Sencha green tea seems like it would be a good choice if it’s the EGCG that you want. Sencha is anti-cancerous as antioxidants like catechin fight free radicals in the body which damage cells. Gyokuro is brewed with temperatures around 122 °F. Any way you want it, matcha provides antioxidant benefits, focus, and energy. It can be of very high quality. They will probably be less expensive, but of the very similar flavor as the original sencha tea. Sencha is made by brewing tea leaves with hot water which is the same as Black tea. Kukicha is a unique type of tea that contains only stems and twigs from gyokuro or sencha, but it may contain some leaf particles too. Sencha is sometimes withered too, although rarely. The subcategory is tokumushi sencha, steamed over 2 minutes. Japanese tea, or also known as green tea, can be largely grouped into 2 types; Sencha and Matcha. Although many teas use sencha tea as a base for creating delicious flavors, that sencha is usually different from the greener and more refreshing Japanese type. It also boosts your body’s ability to … Some other tea types undergo the same production process as sencha, but are shaded before the tea is harvested, such as gyokuro and kabusecha. Sencha green tea will usually have around 20-30 mg of caffeine per cup, an average amount for green tea. Leaves are harvested in spring, summer, and fall, either by hand or machine. To make Sencha, picked tea leaves are To get the most benefits from green tea you should pay attention to the brewing method, use fresh and properly stored quality tea and make tea a part of your lifestyle. Sencha green tea can have a range of flavors including grass, sweet, astringent, spinach, kiwi, brussel sprouts, kale, and even butternut notes. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy It makes a perfect cup of iced tea too. The final tea may contain different cultivars blended to achieve specific flavors. This makes them produce more chlorophyll – green pigment – and a bit more caffeine, resulting in a different flavor. Tea leaves for sencha are generally not withered. The perfect teapot for Japanese sencha is usually around 7-14 oz and the best cups are small Japanese cups with a bluish color. While Sencha is made of tea leaves that were grown both in shade and direct sunlight at a high elevation, Matcha is very specific. Springwater is the best option for brewing this tea. Matcha vs sencha benefits Green tea is considered a healthy beverage. Sencha is made from cultivated tea bushes of Camellia sinensis var Sinensis. Read our Green Tea FAQ or learn Why do different green teas taste differently. Orders ship by noon M-F. $3.99 Shipping. Tea bushes are usually cultivated from cuttings and grown in neatly arranged rows. This is what led me to write articles about healthy foods Try to avoid sencha right before sleep. The brewed tea is also very clear, bright yellowish-green and delicate. Authentic. Leaves are steamed to stop the oxidation and preserve the color, flavor and nutrients. They are steamed to stop the oxidation process, rolled and dried. Both temperature and steeping time is essential if you don’t want to ruin your tea. The third infusion can be 40-60 seconds long. Sencha is a perfect summer tea because it’s light, refreshing, and great for instant cooling. Our Lipton Matcha Green Tea Blends Are Made With 100% Natural Tea Leaves and Matcha Powder. You may just find your new favorite perfect cup. Pour the water from the kettle or from the cups of you followed the previous suggestion. However, matcha tea powder provides more vitamin B6 and beta-carotene than sencha. Live chat. Sencha tea is known for its health benefits, including its ability to fight chronic diseases, aid in weight loss, protect the immune system, increase energy, and stimulate cognitive activity. Its probably still a good idea to use your usual SPF, but green tea can help enhance the effects. The tea plants that are specifically grown and used to … All of them have different qualities. Method you can simply preheat the teapot by pouring hot water by-products of sencha tea... A blend that showcases the health benefits of antioxidants and a bit hotter for deep-steamed sencha taste.... Its Ability, www.lipton.com/Green & Ginger/Matcha tea Ad mature are usually used for making.! Than green tea fat burning rate during moderate exercise your skin reflects a tried-and-true 800! Popular for a very similar tea to sencha, producers need to refine aracha are usually cultivated cuttings... 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