Kabusecha Sencha Green Tea

The harvesting process for Kabusecha Sencha Green tea is rather unique. Like all teas, the leaves are left to grow in natural sunlight. Then 2-3 weeks before they’re harvested the tea plants are covered with huge black sheets to block around half of the sunlight, hence the name Kabusecha which literally means ‘covered tea’. The reason for this is to bring out the tea’s highly sweet taste and remove any hint of bitterness. This has led to comparisons with Japanese Gyokuro tea, both in terms of taste and the emerald green colour of the leaves.

Kabusecha Sencha Green Tea is a very sweet tea, without the astringent taste of many traditional Sencha infused brews. Its colour is also a delightful shade of green, which helps it stand out from the typically cloudy colour you’ll see in most teacups. If you invite friends to share a pot of Kabusecha Green Tea they’re certain to comment on its distinctive colour, along with its taste which features hints of honey and a soothing aroma.

BREWING INSTRUCTION:

THE WATER TEMPERATURE

• The golden rule about water temperature is never to use boiling water on the tea, whatever kind of tea you are making.
• Green Teas require water at 70°C and black teas require water at 85-90°C.
• These days you can get kettles which enable you to choose your water temperature.

THE AMOUNT OF TEA

• Custom dictates that 4 grams are sufficient for one cup. But the amount is partly a matter of preference.
• In the case of Assam tea, which is naturally very robust, you might want to reduce the strength and brew 3 grams instead of 4.

THE BREWING TIME

• This is a very important step in the art of tea-making. In fact, the brewing time varies depending on the type of tea. An over-brewed black tea will develop a bitter taste whilst an under-brewed white tea will be flat and insipid.
• Black teas are normally brewed for 2-3 minutes, green teas for 3 – 4 minutes. It is a good idea to check the brewing time before making the tea because some teas need to be infused for very specific times: for example, Jade Pearl is left to infuse for 7 – 20 minutes, whilst Oolong tea will need 5 – 7 minutes for its bouquet to develop fully.
• Brewing is normally done with a lid on so that the tea retains all its aromas.