Five Japanese green teas to know about

There’s a lot of different Japanese teas out there!

But don’t get scared!

The important thing is to startsippingas soon as poss!

So we’re going to look at just five of the most commonly known Japanese green teas:

• Sencha

• Sencha• Houjicha

• Sencha• Houjicha• Kukicha

• Sencha• Houjicha• Kukicha• Genmaicha

• Sencha• Houjicha• Kukicha• Genmaicha• Matcha

Sencha

We start with Sencha because this is what most people associate with as being “green tea”, the health elixir. Sencha represents about 80% of the teas produced in Japan.

Although Matcha is an even healthier way to consume green tea, Sencha is next best. Steamed, never pan-fired or roasted, Sencha has all the anti-oxidants, polyphenols, and nutrients locked in.

There are so many varieties it’s scary! But in general, for deeper flavours go for the “Kabuse” (shaded) Senchas or “Fukumushi” (deep steamed) and check the steeping time and temperature below as it really is sensitive to preparation conditions.

Sencha steep:Water 400mlAmount 16g teaTemperature 75ºCTime 1 minute

Houjicha

Houjicha is considered the “builders’ brew” of Japanese green tea. It’s roasted which gives it a lovely nutty aroma and taste on the backend.

A good Houjicha has a gorgeous caramel ring to it and is perhaps the easiest of the Japanese green teas to start sipping, because it’s reminiscent of some of the black teas we’re more accustomed to in the West. But do us a favour and never put milk or sugar in your Houjicha!

This is a very low-caffeine tea, so go ahead and drink it day and night, and if you have any adverse reactions to caffinated drinks in general, this one’s for you.

Houjicha steep:Water 400mlAmount 16g teaTemperature 90ºCTime 30 - 60 seconds

Kukicha

Kukicha (pronounced kooky-cha) is a crazy mixed up tea because it contains stems and twigs with a tiny amount of leaves.

Those adorable pinky-width, light yellow, flat sticks blended into dark leaves remind us of confetti ready to celebrate this delightful sip.

Kukicha is a very alkalising tea so a lot of macrobiotic followers like this one.

If you are going for a premium grade, you’ll hear the words Karigane and Shiraore. The word “Karigane”, wild goose in Japanese, is used in reference to the twigs in the tea and is a playful nod towards the wild geese that perch on drift wood in streams and rivers across the picturesque Japanese landscape.

Kukicha steep:Water 400mlAmount 16g teaTemperature 75ºCTime 1 minute

Genmaicha

Genmaicha is a loveable nutty tea you can spot in an instant! It’s the one with cute popped rice blended into the green tea.

Most Genmaicha uses mature tea leaves as the green tea base so it’s hardy and robust. You can steep it at a higher temperature than Sencha and Kukicha although there are certainly higher grades using premium Sencha that require different water temps and timing, but we’re trying to keep it simple here!

This winner is perfect any time of day, but especially after lunch instead of a coffee or on a rainy day (for cozy time)!

Kukicha steep:Water 400mlAmount 16g teaTemperature 90ºCTime 40 - 60 seconds

Matcha

Matcha is a bright green, micro-milled powdered tea, sitting firmly in the special treat spot! Originally gaining fame from its usage in the Japanese tea ceremony, Matcha is now being applied in a million different ways, in food and drink recipes across the world.

The West in particular has latched onto it for being a real health booster. Enhanced health benefits are partly due to the complete ingestion of the green tea leaves.

If you are a tea noobie, Matcha on its own is probably a little too alien. We’d say it’s an acquired taste. BUT, boy is it delicious once you get used to it. Get started on Matcha by mixing it into smoothies and sprinkling it on ice-cream!!!

Matcha prep:Water 150mlAmount half tspTemperature 80ºCThen whisk away!

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