Part of our single-cultivar series, meet Okumidori! This cultivar is characterized by fragrant aromatics and fresh, yet rich umami tones. When we first tasted this tea, we felt as though we had been transported directly to the fields of Japan! This brew features bright and distinct, yet balanced umami and is a really refreshing tea. Our spring-harvested Mizuba Sencha Okumidori is the top of its class and an excellent way to dive deeper into all the flavors sencha has to showcase.
What is Sencha?
Sencha is the most ubiquitous tea found in Japan, but for good reason — it exemplifies the one-of-a-kind umami flavor that epitomizes the heart of Japanese taste. Sencha illustrates the harmonious balance of sweetness, astringency, umami, and bitterness. Even its translation hints to its ubiquity: "sen" means "to infuse" while "cha" means "tea," so sencha in totality translates to "brewing tea." Invented in the 18th century in Uji, Japan by Soen Nagatani, the tea leaves are dried, steamed, and rolled into their characteristic needle shape. A fairly versatile tea, sencha can be brewed & enjoyed in a myriad of ways depending on personal preference.
Brew Guide:
Amount: 6g (2tsp) Sencha
Water: 180ml (6oz) of 160º-175ºF water.
Time: 30 seconds - 1 minute, or up to 2 minutes depending on your preference. You may also try hotter temperatures for shorter periods of time. You'll experience a range of flavors. Using the guide above will give you a sweeter cup, while the hot water/short time brew method will extract more vegetal notes. Experiment! Our producer notes that this particular tea reveals a super fresh flavor at higher temperatures while developing a more savory taste when brewed at lower temperatures.
Make Iced Tea: Our sencha is great for both slow ice-steeping and cold brewing. Learn 3 different methodologies to make iced tea here.