Collection: SENCHA

Green tea processed through steaming

As soon as green tea leaves are picked they begin to oxidize. The key to making good green tea is to halt oxidation (which would result in black tea) as soon as possible in order to preserve the fresh green color and flavor. One way to halt oxidation is to steam and dry fresh tea leaves (mushi seihô). The heat treatment and other steps used to process green tea aim to balance the elements of flavor, umami, bitterness, and sweetness. More than 80% of tea grown in Japan is processed by steaming with techniques that were developed between the late Edo and the Meiji period.