Sencha Green Tea

Sencha tea 

BOTANICAL NAME: Camellia Thea Link

FAMILY: Theaceae

PLACE OF ORIGIN: China

NATURE OF THE PLANT: Cultivated 

Sencha tea is the most common among the various Japanese teas. It is the most valued and is consumed by 80% of the Japanese population. It has a harmonious taste, between astringent and sweet, leaving in the mouth a refreshing aftertaste and a very special sweetness. The leaves have a beautiful dark green and have a needle shape and release a golden yellow color in the water, which tends to green, while remaining clear and not opaque. 

Green tea contains caffeine, although only about a third or half of the amount in a cup of coffee, and L-theanine, a rare amino acid responsible for the tasty tasting notes of umami, which produces an anti-stress effect. Caffeine and L-theanine come together, creating this sense of calm, alertness. 

Green tea has been shown to have numerous positive effects on the skin, helping it to remain clear, vibrant and young. Sencha green tea in fact neutralizes UV light, protecting against sunburn; its antioxidants help reactivate dead and damaged cells. To top it off, the antioxidant Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, more affectionately known as EGCG, helps fight inflammation, acne, rosacea, and other skin conditions.

Chlorophyll is what gives green tea its namesake color. The high content of chlorophyll, particularly in matcha, has a detoxifying effect on the body, helping the elimination of chemicals and heavy metals from the body.

How sencha green tea is born

Sencha tea is a tea that is grown in "full sun", while the first collection of leaves takes place in the first days of May. When it is harvested in this period the tea is called Shincha, that is, "new tea", then at the end of June the second harvest takes place and in the end at the beginning of August the third takes place. After harvesting, the oxidation process of the leaves begins, which are steamed for about 1/2 minutes, then dried and inserted into a machine that gives it its characteristic needle shape.

Sencha Green Tea: Preparation 

The taste of tea sencha like other teas, varies depending on its preparation. In fact, there are many fundamental factors that could change the flavor, for example at the time of infusion the temperature of the water is very important because in the tea there is both theanine, which is a derivative of L-glutamic acid, which gives sweetness to the tea, and catechin, which instead attributes an astringent and somewhat allapping taste. Simply put, the higher the water is at a high temperature, the more the catechin gives a strong flavor to the tea, while the more the temperature decreases, the sweeter the tea will become.

For the preparation of an excellent Sencha tea, you should use water at 70 ° C, perhaps brought to a boil and then left to rest. Add 2 to 3 grams of leaves per person to the saucepan, leave to infuse for about 2 minutes or a little more and then filter with a simple strainer. Sweeten to taste, perhaps with a little honey

Sencha tea has a high concentration of vitamins of group B (B1, B2, B3), C and P.