Japanese Green Tea

Sencha is a Japanese green tea, specifically one made without grinding the tea leaves. Unground tea was brought from China after matcha (, powdered green tea). Some varieties expand when steeped to resemble leaf vegetable greens in smell, appearance, and taste. Sencha literally means "roasted tea", however, the process by which sencha is created differs from Chinese green teas, which are initially pan-fired (and could probably therefore more accurately be called "roasted" teas). Japanese green tea is first steamed for between 1545 seconds to prevent oxidization of the leaves. Then, the leaves are rolled, shaped, and dried. This step creates the customary thin cylindrical shape of the tea. Finally, after drying, the leaves are fired to aid in their preservation and to add flavour. The initial steaming step imparts a difference in the flavour between Chinese and Japanese green tea, with Japanese green tea having a more vegetal, almost grassy flavour (some taste seaweed-like flavours). Infusions from sencha and other green teas that are steamed (like most common Japanese green teas) are also greener in colour and slightly more bitter than Chinese-style green teas. Sencha is very popular in Japan, and is drunk hot in the cooler months and usually chilled in the summer months.