Tencha is often an overlooked tea since it’s the tea leading up to the production of matcha. Tencha undergoes the same treatment as gyokuro, where the hedges are shaded prior to the harvest to remove bitterness and increase sweetness/umami. After steaming, the leaves are not rolled like gyokuro, instead, the stems and veins are removed from the leaves, then ground using a stone mill, that is smaller in circumference than one used to produce the final product which is matcha. The smaller size reduces the total pressure on the leaves, resulting in a larger flaky tea that looks like fish scales. Considering tencha isn’t kneaded, the cell walls of the leaf aren’t broken down nearly as much as gyokuro, which means the temperature and the steeping times are longer for tencha, in order to draw out the flavors hidden within.
Tencha has a signature deep and mellow taste with almost zero bitterness and astringency. The aroma is a very delicate fresh grassy scent.
Tencha has a signature deep and mellow taste with almost zero bitterness and astringency. The aroma is a very delicate fresh grassy scent.
Caffeine Content in Tencha:
- Moderate to high levels of caffeine, usually ranging from 80-110mg, a typical cup of coffee has 80-200mg. At most the caffeine in a cup of tencha can reach 330mg after 1 session which is brewing the leaves 3 times.
Brew like a pro:
- Heat soft water (not distilled) within the range of 140°-158°F. Soft water creates the best tea experience, the extra minerals in hard water will clash with the contents of the tea creating an undesirable film on top of the tea.
- The great thing about high-quality tencha is that you can steep it up to 3 times. In order to make the most out of the 3 steepings I recommend starting with around 150°F for the first steep, then around 145°F for the second steeping, and 155°F for the third infusion.
- Timing is the other important area to keep in mind when making tencha. During the first steeping, keep the time around 100 seconds (time range suggestions will be on the package of tencha), followed by dropping the time slightly for the second steeping, and then raising the time to around two minutes for the third steeping.
- Infusing (steeping) tencha for too long and/or at too high of a temperature will result in a bitter and undesirable flavor. Timing and temperature are something of personal preference, so play around with them until you find what works best for you.
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