Why is Sencha green tea so special and how do you make it?

If you’re a green tea fan then you’ve definitely heard of Sencha. It’s the most popular green tea in Japan that’s got everyone hooked. You can almost taste the fresh, warm rays of early summer sun with this wonderful tea. But why is it so special and how do you make it?

What is Sencha?

Sencha is a type of sun grown Japanese green tea, using the Camellia sinensis tea plant. The plants are always grown on steep terrain of a high hill or mountain slope as elevation is key.

Sencha is different from most other green teas around the world, because it’s processed in the Japanese fashion. This means the leaves are heat treated with steam, instead of firing them or baking in an oven (the Chinese method). This results in a better tasting green tea, and a definitely green brew colour.

What does Sencha taste like?

Sencha green tea has a complex flavor that has a refreshing overall taste. A good Sencha typically has grassy notres and a smooth natural sweetness which wipes away any bitterness so long as you steep it just right. The end result is a crisp and bright tea that is a joy to drink any time day or night.

The one thing that’s important to remember about Sencha green tea is just how easy it is to mess up the taste of it.

Green tea is notoriously delicate so you have to be very careful with the water temperature and the amount of time that you steep it or you will turn what is a wonderfully refreshing beverage into an astringent bitter tasting cup of nothingness. This process becomes reliably accurate with no mess or fuss when the BRU Maker is doing all the work for you at the press of a button.

The one other factor that is crucial is the quality of green tea leaves themselves. Using low quality green tea produces a low-quality flavor. It tends to be a little bit too grassy and vegetable. The BRU Sencha green tea has been carefully selected to provide an exceptionally high-quality tea at a very reasonable price.

How to make your perfect cup of Sencha

As mentioned, Sencha green tea is very, very delicate. So the proper brewing time and temperature are key.

For our Sencha green tea BRU recommends using 5.5 grams of tea leaves per 350mls of water, with a brewing temperature of 80°C. Our recommended steeping time is 2.5 minutes which is perfect for our taste, but you may want to experiment to find your sweet spot for this wonderful and flavourful Sencha green tea. This can be done quickly and easily on your BRU Maker by adjusting the settings - just make sure you save your favourites for that effortlessly repeatable taste.

Then sit back, relax and enjoy!