Japanese green tea might just be one of Japan’s greatest achievements. We know that’s saying a lot when we’re talking about the country that revolutionised the modern world with bullet trains, 3D printers, and fibre-optic communications, but the accolades are deserved. Green tea from Japan is revered by connoisseurs all over the world, and has undergone a process of continued refinement across multiple centuries. It is this refinement that has earned Japanese green tea a special place in the hearts of many. Of course, you can’t just lump all Japanese green teas into the one category. We have six standout green tea types, each special and unique, and offering a full spectrum of variation in cultivar, terroir, and method of production. Let’s explore some of the most exciting Japanese green teas!

Sencha (煎茶)

Sencha is one of the most quintessential Japanese green teas. Produced throughout the country, it represents a staggering 80 percent of all Japanese tea production, and is exported all over the globe. Sencha is highly recognisable by its thin, flattened, needle-like dry leaf, often shortish in length (compared with many Chinese greens) and offering a beautifully deep jade-green colour. This colour is mostly unique to Japanese Sencha and is brought about by careful steaming (as opposed to pan-frying) and the tea’s volcanic, oceanside terroir. First flush Sencha is known as Shincha (新茶), or new tea, and is coveted for its enticingly fresh aroma and taste. It also has a relative lack of bitterness and is high in amino acids. This brings about a delightfully sweet and grassy flavour with minimal astringency. A good sencha brings one back to the tea field itself, among an uplifting backdrop of clean ocean air. Unlike some other Japanese green teas, Sencha is produced in full sunlight. There are many different Camellia Sinensis cultivars used to produce it, but a majority is produced using the Yabukita cultivar. Other popular cultivars include Fuushun, Asanoka, Saemidori, Minekaori, and Yutakamidori. Different cultivars can produce a totally different Sencha experience. If you’re interested in learning more about Japanese green tea cultivars, this is an excellent post. Brewing Sencha allows for a certain amount of experimentation with regards to brew time and temperature. It all depends on your desired taste. As with many other Japanese green teas, a longer steep will allow for a certain bitterness to develop in the cup as more catechins escape into the liquor, whereas a lower water temperature will encourage a more mellow experience. Tea / Water Ratio 2 tsp : 200ml Steeping Time 90 seconds Temperature 75°C – 80°C (167°F – 176°F)

Gyokuro (玉露)

Gyokuro is a truly prized creation among Japanese teas. Known as Jade Dew by literal translation, Gyokuro Japanese green tea boasts intensely dark green needle-like leaves, which have been flattened into thin strips for their final shaping. The category is considered to produce some of Japan’s finest loose leaf teas. The colour of this tea is the result of a unique processing method called shading. Several weeks before the leaves are plucked, large coverings are placed overhead to block a significant portion of sunlight, stressing the tea bush and encouraging it to produce a unique chemical profile within its new leaves. A good Gyokuro will present with a full-bodied umami flavour, grassy notes, and the essence of edible seaweed. It will then follow up this delight to the senses with an intense and delicious sweetness. This sweetness is a result of shading, which has encouraged both the amino acids and the caffeine within the tea to become stronger in each new leaf. Unlike Sencha, Gyokuro tends to be made using a limited number of highly specialised cultivars of Camellia Sinensis, like Okumidori, Saemidori, Asahi, and Yamakai. These cultivars are known for being especially hardy towards shading, so that they may be shaded for longer periods with less risk of producing poor quality leaves or killing the plant. The standard period for shading is 20 days, and gyokuro produced without this shading process is considered fake. The difference is extremely evident in the flavour, aroma, and hue, such that even a beginner should be able to differentiate between the two. The origin of this tea lies with a small merchant by the name of Kahei Yamamoto VI, in 1835. During his travels Yamamoto stayed with a family who was covering their tea plants to protect them from frost. When he rolled the leaves up into balls and steeped them, he was delighted by the taste, and sold them as “Beads of Dew”. It is from these Beads of Dew that Gyokuro derives its name. Brewing Gyokuro produces an intense green liquor when brewed, even more so than Sencha. However, it is an especially delicate Japanese green tea and as such the leaves need to be handled carefully, with extra time and attention placed on the accuracy of the brewing method. Tea / Water Ratio: 6 grams : 100ml Steeping Time: 2 mins Temperature: 40°C – 50°C (104°F – 122°F)

Hōjicha (焙じ茶)

Hōjicha isn’t your typical Japanese green tea. For starters, the dry leaf is not even green! This isn’t a mistake. Hōjicha means roasted tea, which in this case means the leaves have undergone a roasting process after steaming. What results is a beautifully rich Japanese green tea with toasty and caramel-like flavours, perfectly suited to the umami palate. Hōjicha was first invented by a trader in Kyoto in the 1920s. Japanese culture pushes a strong emphasis on allowing nothing to go to waste, and the trader was unhappy that his leftover bancha (lower market grade tea, produced from the second flush of sencha) wasn’t being used. In an experiment he decided to roast it over glowing charcoal, and was pleasantly surprised by the delicious results. Interestingly, this process conducted purely to minimise the amount of wasted leaves (by making them more palatable) soon produced one of the most popular teas in Japan. Today Hōjicha is still roasted over charcoal, traditionally using a porcelain pot. The temperature reaches a full 150°C (302°F) and deactivates the enzymes to prevent further oxidation. It also leaves Hōjicha with its unique golden brown colour. Catechins do not survive well in the roasting environment. This means that Hōjicha typically has less astringency than other Japanese green teas, and can be a lot more palatable for people who don’t enjoy astringent tastes. The roasting process also lowers the amount of caffeine present, making it especially suitable for those who would prefer a low-caffeine choice. In Japan it is often given to children for this very reason. Hōjicha’s smooth and delicious flavour is considered perfect for finishing off a meal. It goes especially well with mild but umami-heavy rice-based dishes, like sushi, katsu curry rice, and don. It also does very well after a serving of fresh fish. Brewing Due to the roasting process Hōjicha can tolerate a much higher brewing temperature than other Japanese green teas, and this high temperature will help to encourage its beautiful aroma. Tea / Water Ratio: 1.5 tsp : 230ml Steeping Time: 30 secs Temperature: 95°C (203°F)

Genmaicha (玄米茶)

Known as toasted rice tea or even sometimes as popcorn tea in the west, Genmaicha is a Japanese green tea specialty blend created by mixing regular green tea with toasted rice. This process was originally devised to stretch out supplies and make tea affordable for the working class of Japan, but it instead caught on as a unique and delicious take on traditional Japanese green tea. In Genmaicha, the toasted rice creates an extremely unique flavour in the cup. It is especially well known for its strong buttery aroma and taste, producing a liquor flavour reminiscent of movie theatre popcorn. While some find this taste quite strong, others deeply enjoy the unique experience and will inevitably come back for more. Watch out – this tea is addictive. When making genmaicha producers have a few choices – both sencha and bancha can be used. However, we’ve selected sencha for its higher quality and complimentary umami taste. Because Genmaicha is stretched out with toasted rice, less actual tea leaves are used per steep. This naturally lowers the caffeine content of each cup, making it a favourite among children. If you’ve got kids that love cinema popcorn but aren’t quite ready for traditional tea, we encourage you to try this one out. It’s a wonderfully soothing drink and a great source of antioxidants. Brewing Steeping time and temperature depend heavily on the quality of your Genmaicha. For a Bancha-based Genmaicha, a shorter brewing time at a higher temperature is preferred. For Sencha-based Genmaicha, longer brewing at lower temperature is recommended. Unlike other Japanese green teas, both the tea base and the toasted rice must be taken into account simultaneously while steeping. Tea / Water Ratio: 3 tsp : 200ml Steeping Time: 30 – 60 seconds Temperature: 80°C – 100°C (176°F – 212°F)

Matcha (抹茶)

Matcha is a unique kind of Japanese green tea that has been ground into a fine powder. This powder is then mixed with water rather than steeped to produce a delicious and intense green tea experience, but you may be more familiar with it as the primary ingredient in many green tea flavoured desserts! Matcha undergoes the same shading process as gyokuro, with shades being added during the final weeks before plucking. This helps matcha to develop its intense green colour (there should be no hint of yellow in the hue) before it is plucked, processed, and then milled into the fine silky powder we are familiar with. At its highest quality, this powder is an intensely bright green. Powdered tea was first brought to Japan through China by boat, travelling along the ancient sea trade routes. While it eventually fell out of favour among Chinese producers, the Japanese embraced it and continued to refine it until they arrived at the type of matcha that is produced today. Because it is mixed directly with water rather than steeped, matcha tea is very strong. It has a high caffeine and catechin content and has been used for centuries by Japanese Buddhist monks to promote alertness during meditation. Matcha comes in both ceremonial and culinary grades. A complex flavour profile accompanies ceremonial grade matcha, which accomplishes a mellow richness of vegetal grassy notes, a nutty sweetness, and a light bitterness with a delightful umami finish. A Japanese favourite is to drink matcha alongside wagashi (和菓子), or sweets. The best sweets to use are soft and chewy like traditional Japanese mochi, which balance the bitterness of the matcha in an irresistible way. As for culinary grade matcha, this is perfect for Japanese green tea flavoured sweets and desserts. The potential here is endless – everything from green tea ice-cream and matcha milkshakes to green tea sponge cakes and Swiss rolls can be achieved. It will also give your creations an incredible hit of antioxidants, served alongside a pleasantly mellow green tea taste. Brewing You can’t brew Matcha the same way you would brew loose leaf Japanese green tea. Instead, the best way to get it done is to use three very special tools: A chawan, chashaku, and chasen. We go over the brew method in Brew the Perfect Matcha in 10 Simple Steps.

Matcha Genmaicha (抹茶玄米茶)

Our final tea is an unexpected but exciting combination: Matcha Genmaicha. This unique Japanese green tea hybrid brew comes in the form of a high quality Genmaicha which has been dusted with a layer of Matcha over the top. It is easily recognisable from regular Genmaicha as the toasted rice is visibly covered in a light green powder, clearly reducing the amount of yellow colours seen in the dry leaf. This is a favourite of ours for its complex profile. Match Genmaicha (sometimes shortened to matcha genmai) is ideal for those who enjoy the taste of traditional Genmaicha but find it a little strong. The inclusion of Matcha mellows the strength of the toasted rice and compliments it well, adding a robust and well-balanced sweetness to its aroma and taste. Unlike regular Genmaicha, this standout tea utilises only Shincha Sencha leaves (first flush sencha), which helps to keep its quality high. Bancha should not be used as there is little point in adding a ceremonial grade matcha to a low grade tea. Another way in which this tea is unique is the way it brews. The Sencha and toasted rice components will steep as a regular tea would, while the dusted Matcha powder will separate and mix into the liquor, producing a cloudier brew than would usually be expected. For most teas a cloudiness would be considered the result of poor quality tea or hard water, but in Matcha Genmaicha, the rules are quite different. Brewing Unlike pure Matcha, Matcha Genmaicha is brewed using the typical tea steeping method, however special attention must be paid to the steeping time and temperature. This is because Matcha Japanese green tea has a high strength and is very delicate, so steeping in water that is too hot will quickly cause bitter flavours to develop in the cup. Use caution! Tea / Water Ratio 1 tsp : 250ml Steeping Time 3 minutes Temperature 70°C – 80°C (158°F – 176°F)

A bit more about the world of Japanese green tea

Each tea producing country has its own habits, styles, and flavours. In turn, they produce teas truly unique to the location and the people who took the time and care to create them. We find Japanese green teas are a perfect example of this, as they impart the uplifting fragrances of ocean air next to which they are grown, and display unique characteristics thanks to the continued innovations of the Japanese people. In the future, we expect a much more diverse range of Japanese teas to become available. Did you know that Japan used to also produce black and oolong tea? There’s some great news here – a number of Japanese producers are looking at reinstating black and oolong tea production and reviving the local industry. We’re excited to see the results! Another unique aspect of Japanese green tea production is its mechanisation. Tea is only rarely harvested by hand in Japan, and yet in spite of this their teas are still considered very high quality. This is because Japanese growers have invested heavily in machines that pluck extremely precisely, leaving little room for damaged leaf. They also grow their tea bushes in such a way that new shoots tend to grow evenly and reach straight upwards, allowing for easy, high quality mass harvest.

To Close

There you have it – an overview of some of the most delectable teas in Japan. Enticed? We don’t blame you, it’s hard not to be! Why not check out our exclusive Japanese green tea collection, and enjoy outstanding tea imported direct from Japan by Australian Tea Masters? We also offer beautiful high-grade Matcha tools and sets – the perfect gift for yourself or the tea connoisseur in your life. Happy steeping!