Japanese Sencha tea

1.What is Sencha green tea?
Sencha is a steamed green tea made from small-leaf Camellia sinensis (tea bushes). Japanese sencha tends to have a refreshing flavor that can be described as vegetal, green, seaweedy, or grassy. Flavors vary with different types of sencha and how they are brewed.After picking, the processing of sencha green tea starts with a quick steam of the fresh tea leaves, preventing oxidization and locking in the green color and flavor. The leaves are then rolled, shaped, and dried.

Sencha teas are also produced in China, South Korea, and other countries, though the teas can differ greatly from their Japanese counterparts given the differences in tea plants and processing techniques used. These teas are frequently used for blending and have a more toasted, nutty flavor than grassy Japanese sencha.

2. How to drink Sencha?
Senchadō is the traditional Japanese way of brewing and serving sencha green tea, and it involves a number of special tools and dishes. Entire rooms and buildings (tea halls) are dedicated to the art of tea brewing and drinking.

For casual, at-home enjoyment, use a ratio of 1 teaspoon tea to 1 cup pure, fresh water (not distilled). Japanese sencha teas prefer a lower brewing temperature of around 170 F—if you don't have a thermometer, use water that has just barely started to simmer. Sencha also requires a short brewing time. How long will depend upon the variety, how hot your water is, and how much tea you use. Some senchas are best with a 15- to 30-second steep, while others can handle up to 2 minutes.