Japanese Sencha Makinohara
Japanese Sencha Makinohara
Fresh | Verdant | Smooth
Our Japanese Sencha Makinohara has a high concentration of vitamin C and is packed with antioxidants. The leaves are uniquely flat with a deep dark green colour and have been steamed to stop the oxidisation process, offering a unique verdant, grassy taste. A classic Japanese green tea.
How to brew
Tea profile
Origin: Makinohara Hills, western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Altitude: 61 metres (200 feet)
Plucking season: Spring (late April, early May)
Varietal/cultivar: Sinensis Yabukita cultivar
Flavour profile: The bright green-gold liquor is sweet, smooth and umami with gentle citrus suggestions of kumquats and uzu
Best Enjoyed: Black
Japan learned about tea from the Chinese in the 8th century AD and developed its own tea culture from the end of the 12th century. In the 18th century, tea makers developed the method by which ‘sencha’ is made and, whereas Chinese green teas are heat treated (to stop oxidation in the leaves) using dry heat in a hot metal pan, Japanese teas are steamed. This intensifies the rich green colour of the leaves and brings out more powerful notes of spinach and other leafy green vegetables. Sencha is made in many regions around the coast of Japan, and Shizuoka Prefecture, where Makinohara is situated, is one of the most important.
