SENCHA / Green Tea is perhaps the most standard type of Japanese green tea. Although standard, the world of Sencha is deep and the quality ranges from excellent to poor.
You should infuse the tea at a slightly lower temperature to enjoy the umami taste more. Here’s the typical way of brewing Sencha.
Boil fresh water in a kettle and pour 200ml of boiling water into a measuring cup.
200ml of water will make 1-2 tea cup(s) of tea.
Add 3g of tea leaves into a tea pot.
Sencha will typically use 3g/1tsp of tea leaves 1-2 tea cup(s).
Going by this ratio, if you are preparing for a group of 5 people, the amount of leaves required will be 8-10g.
For Sencha, the best to extract the nutrients as much as possible is to infuse with high temperature water (75-80℃).
As mentioned above, you would want to reduce the temperature from boiling (100℃) to 75-80℃ then infuse.
This allows the umami to come out while containing the astringency of the green tea.
Close the lid and wait for the tea leaves to open.
For Sencha, let the tea steep for 90 seconds. Don’t let it steep too long, as it may become bitter.
Pour in this Order
When you serve Sencha to several people, make sure the thickness of the tea is equal. You can’t have one person have thick tea, and another person have thin tea! If you don’t be careful, this will happen as the tea will become richer and richer as you pour. In order to even the richness of the tea for everyone, the tea is poured in the above order.
This method of pouring is called “Mawashisogi”. If there are 3 tea cups, firstly, pour halfway in the order of 1 – 2 – 3. Subsequently, pour again in the reverse order of 3 – 2 – 1.
Make sure that the tea is poured to the very last drop. This helps to keep the second infusion delicious as well. If tea is remaining in the tea pot, the second infusion may not be as enjoyable.
