Types of Japanese Tea

What kind of tea do you imagine when you hear “Japanese tea”?

There are many kinds of tea in the category of Japanese tea and they are mainly classified into 7 types of tea. It is also possible to classify these 7 kinds of tea by producing areas or so and we name each of them brand names or cultivar names. Surprisingly, Japanese tea has over 120 kinds of tea brands.

Unique character of each kind of Japanese tea

All kinds of Japanese tea are made by the same tea plant and classified into non-oxidized tea that is not oxidized during the manufacturing process. You probably think that all tea has the same appearance, flavors and tastes because they have the same ingredients.

But every kind of Japanese tea actually has unique colors, flavors and tastes. They are quite different with each other. Some Japanese tea have typical astringency and bitterness of Japanese tea, the others have sweetness or strong Umami. It is easier to find your favorite tea if you are familiar with types or characters of each Japanese tea.

Types and characters of Japanese tea

Now I will show you 7 major kinds of Japanese tea, its characters and main producing areas.

Sencha

Sencha dominates the Japanese tea market in Japan. This tea is manufactured by steaming, rolling and drying young leaves grown under lots of sunshine. Its characters are moderate astringency and brisk flavor. Its sweetness and umami make it easier for ones who try Japanese tea for the first time and also for children. Sencha is produced around Japan, especially in Shizuoka, Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures.

Kabusecha

Tea leaves for Kabusecha are cultivated without getting sunlight under the straw shade or so on for almost a week before plucking. Kabusecha is said to have both characters of Sencha and Gyokuro because of the shorter period of cultivation under the shade than Gyokuro. It is well-balanced in astringency, bitterness, sweetness and umami. Kabusecha is mainly produced in Mie, Nara and Fukuoka prefectures.

Gyokuro

Tea leaves for Gyokuro are cultivated without getting sunlight under the straw shade or so on for almost 20 days before plucking. Its manufacturing process is the same as Sencha but what unique to Gyokuro is that it is made by Ichibancha only. It has weak astringency and bitterness, while it has strong sweetness and umami. Its flavor is bit roastery like aonori (dried seaweed), that is unique to Japanese tea cultivated under the shade. Gyokuro is mainly produced in Kyoto, Mie and Fukuoka prefectures.

Hojicha

Hojicha is a tea made by roasting tea leaves. It has a distinctive aroma, with almost no bitterness or astringency, and it has a refreshing taste. Roasting it with far-infrared rays enhances its roasting aroma and flavor.

Tencha

Tencha is manufactured by steaming and drying leaves cultivated under the shade same as Gyokuro. But Tencha skips the rolling process. Stems and veins in Tencha are removed in order to be ground smoothly because it is an ingredient of Matcha. Its characters are mild astringency and bitterness and strong umami and a kind of roastery flavor due to the cultivation under the shade. Tencha is mainly produced in Kagoshima, Kyoto and Shizuoka prefectures.

Tamaryokucha

Tamaryokucha is manufactured by mostly the same process as Sencha but it doesn’t have the process of final rolling to make shapes of the tea tidy. It has nicknames like “Mushiguri” or “Guricha” because of its curled shape of the tea. Its characters are less astringency and bitterness, refreshing and pleasant texture. Main producing areas are Saga, Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures.