Why is Sencha green tea so special and how is it prepared?

If you're a fan of green tea, you've probably heard of Sencha. It's the most popular type of green tea in Japan, where it's highly regarded. It's said that with this wonderfully harmonious green tea, you can practically taste the fresh, warm rays of the early summer sun. But why is it so special and how is it prepared?

What is Sencha?

Sencha is a type of sun-grown Japanese green tea made from the Camellia sinensis tea plant. The plants are grown on steep hills or mountain slopes, as altitude is crucial.

Sencha is different from most other green teas around the world because it is processed in a special Japanese way. This means that the leaves are treated with steam instead of roasting them or baking them in an oven (as is the case with the Chinese method). This results in a better tasting green tea and a definitely green color to the infusion.

What does Sencha taste like?

Sencha green tea has a complex flavour that is refreshing overall. A good Sencha will usually have grassy notes and a smooth, natural sweetness. When prepared correctly, almost all of the bitter notes disappear. The result is a fresh, green tea that is a pleasure to drink anytime, day or night.

The most important thing to remember when preparing Sencha is how easy it is to spoil its flavour!

Green tea is notoriously delicate, so you need to be very careful with the water temperature and length of time you brew it, otherwise you will turn a wonderfully fine, flavourful drink into a predominantly bitter tasting cup of nothing.

The BRU 'Maker One' tea maker makes perfect preparation a breeze and with the push of a button, the work is done for you.

Another crucial factor is of course the quality of the green tea leaves themselves. Using low-quality green tea will result in inferior flavour. It tends to be a bit too grassy and vegetal. Our ORGANIC Sencha green tea has been lovingly selected & packaged by BRU to offer an exceptionally high quality tea at a great price.

How to make the perfect cup of Sencha

As mentioned, Sencha is very, very delicate. So the right brewing time and temperature are crucial.

For our ORGANIC Sencha green tea, we recommend using 5.5 grams of tea leaves per 350 ml of water at a brewing temperature of exactly 80°C. Our recommended brewing time is 2.5 minutes, which is perfect for our taste, but feel free to experiment to find your sweet spot. This is done quickly & easily with the BRU tea machine by adjusting the settings - just don't forget to save your favorites for an effortlessly repeatable brewing process!

Then sit back, relax and enjoy!