Japanese green teas are steamed rather than pan-fired, which gives them a bright green color and a fresh, savory, umami-rich taste. Explore sencha, gyokuro, genmaicha and more, and brew them cooler and shorter for the sweetest cup.
About Japanese green tea
Everyday sencha such as Shizuoka Tsuyu Sencha and Chiran Sencha sit beside deep-steamed Fukamushi Sencha Kakegawa. Shade-grown gyokuro like Yame Gyokuro Grade 1 and Imperial Okabe Gyokuro are rich and sweet.
For a toasty cup, try Hojicha or Superior Miyazaki Hojicha. Gen Mai Cha Supreme mixes green tea with roasted rice, and Kukicha Kabuse is a light, sweet twig tea. Prefer powdered tea? Browse our matcha.
Japanese green tea FAQ
How do I brew Japanese green tea?
For sencha, use 1 teaspoon per 250 ml cup and water at 71 to 79°C. Steep 1 to 2 minutes. Gyokuro likes more leaf and cooler water: about 2 teaspoons at 54 to 60°C for about 2 minutes. Roasted hojicha can take hotter water, around 91°C.
What is fukamushi sencha?
Fukamushi means deep steamed. The leaves are steamed longer than regular sencha, so they break into finer pieces. The cup is darker green, richer and smoother. A fine mesh strainer helps.
What are genmaicha and hojicha?
Genmaicha is green tea mixed with toasted brown rice, so it tastes nutty and warm. Gen Mai Matcha adds a dusting of matcha. Hojicha is green tea roasted until it turns reddish brown, with a toasty, mellow flavour and very little bitterness.
What is kukicha?
Kukicha, or twig tea, is made from the stems and stalks of the tea plant instead of the leaves. It brews a light, sweet, slightly nutty cup. Brew it like sencha, at about 79°C for 1 to 2 minutes.