Saemidori cultivar is known for its high amino-acid content and umami with little astringency. Mizuba's loose-leaf sencha Saemidori features incredibly sweet, elegant aromatics with notes of ripe melon and bright citrus. The tea's brew is a deep yellow cream in color that results in a structured, rich, and deeply savory flavor.
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!
Make Iced Tea: Our sencha is great for both slow ice-steeping and cold brewing. Learn 3 different methodologies to make iced tea here.