How to Brew Sencha: Temperature, Timing and Tips from Our Tea Farm in

Even with the same tea leaves, the flavor of sencha changes dramatically depending on water temperature and steeping time. Imamura Tea Garden, growing tea in Kirishima, Kagoshima since 1947, shares how to brew delicious sencha at home through three key points: temperature, timing, and the amount of leaves. No special tools or techniques required - try it with your very next cup.

What You Need

Sencha leaves: about 2-3 g per person (roughly one heaping teaspoon)
Kyusu (Japanese teapot): a small one is easiest to handle
Teacups: one per person
A vessel for cooling the water: a mug or spare teacup works fine

A thermometer helps, but you can manage without one. Each time you pour boiled water into another vessel, the temperature is said to drop by roughly 10C - use this to adjust the water temperature by feel.

The Basic Method (for two people)

Here is the most fundamental way to brew, balancing umami and astringency.

1. Put the leaves in the teapot

Use about 4-6 g for two people. Too few leaves and the flavor turns thin, so when starting out, err on the side of "a little too much."

2. Cool the water to 70-80C

Pour freshly boiled water into the teacups first. This lowers the temperature, warms the cups, and measures out exactly the right amount of water. Theanine, the source of sencha's umami and sweetness, dissolves well even at lower temperatures, while catechins, the source of astringency, extract more readily as the water gets hotter. Aim for 70-80C to draw out the umami while keeping astringency gentle.

3. Pour into the teapot and wait 40-60 seconds

Pour the water from the cups into the teapot, cover, and wait about 40-60 seconds - slightly shorter for deep-steamed (fukamushi) leaves, slightly longer for light-steamed ones. Do not shake or swirl the pot; just wait quietly.

4. Pour in rounds, down to the very last drop

When serving several cups, pour a little into each cup in turn and then back again so the strength is even (this is called mawashi-tsugi). The last drop holds concentrated umami, and emptying the pot completely also keeps the second infusion tasting its best.

Enjoying the Second and Third Infusions

Sencha does not end with one brew. For the second infusion, use slightly hotter water at 80-90C and steep for only 10-20 seconds - the leaves have already opened, so the flavor comes out quickly. Where the first infusion offers deep umami, the second brings out aroma and a pleasant briskness, and the third finishes clean and refreshing. Comparing how the same leaves change from cup to cup is one of sencha's great pleasures.

How to Make Cold Brew Sencha (take it slow, or have it now)

Cold brewing is perfect for hot weather or for anyone sensitive to astringency. Here are two ways: a slow steep that takes its time, and a quick method for when you want a cup right away.

Slow cold brew with loose leaf (about 8 hours)

Put 10-15 g of leaves in a pitcher and add 1 liter of cold water
Let it steep slowly in the refrigerator for about 8 hours
Remove or strain the leaves, chill well, and serve

At low temperatures, catechins and caffeine barely extract, so astringency and bitterness stay low while sweetness and umami stand out, giving a smooth, mellow cup. Because the extraction takes its time, the umami comes out fully - that is the reward of this method. Start it in the evening and it is ready by morning.

In a hurry? Shake for 10 seconds

Can't wait 8 hours for the refrigerator to do its work? Reach for our cold-brew tea bags, COLD BREW GREEN TEA | Premium Line (5 g x 15 bags). Just add a tea bag to a bottle of cold water and shake for about 10 seconds - a cold brew sencha with full umami, ready to drink right away.

Steep loose leaf for 8 hours when you want to take it slow, or shake COLD BREW for 10 seconds when you want it now. Either way, you get the mellow sweetness that only cold brewing gives.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Too astringent or bitter: The water was too hot or the steep too long. Cool the water to around 70C and shorten the steeping time.
Flavor is weak: Almost always too few leaves. Use less water, or increase the leaves to about 3 g per person.
The second infusion tastes poor: Leaving water in the pot after the first infusion lets astringency build while it sits. Pouring out every last drop is the fix.
Little aroma: The leaves may have lost freshness. Store tea in the refrigerator or freezer, and enjoy it soon after opening.

Recommended Sencha from Imamura Tea Garden

Imamura Tea Garden grows its tea in fields blessed with volcanic soil at the foot of the Kirishima mountains and clear mountain water, with soil-building at the heart of everything we do. If you are going to practice these brewing methods, why not do it with Kirishima sencha?

Kirishima Tea | Premium Sencha (Tokujo): A blend of Saemidori, Tsuyuhikari, and Yabukita cultivars. Rich umami, deep body, and a long-lasting finish - a perfect match for the basic method of slow brewing at 70-80C.
COLD BREW GREEN TEA | Premium Line: Just shake with cold water in a bottle for about 10 seconds for a cup with full umami and remarkable sweetness, ready right away. Ideal as your everyday summer tea.

Explore more sencha and Kirishima teas in our Kirishima Tea Collection. May today's cup become your excuse for a slower moment.