What is Tencha ?
Tencha is the base tea for making matcha, a type of steamed green tea that undergoes no rolling process.
一,Core Characteristics
• Raw materials: Fresh tea leaves shaded for 2 to 3 weeks before plucking (shading rate over 90%). They contain high levels of amino acids and chlorophyll, delivering a fresh brisk taste and deep green color.
• Processing techniques: Steam fixation → cooling → no rolling → direct drying → stem-leaf separation.
• Appearance: Flaky without twisted strips, dark green in color, with clean fresh aroma and mellow taste. • Usage: Tencha can be ground directly into matcha; it can also be brewed and drunk as loose tea.
二,Simplified Production Process
1. Shaded cultivation: Cover tea rows with straw mats or shading nets 2 to 3 weeks prior to harvest.
2. Fresh leaf plucking: Pick single bud with one leaf or single bud with two leaves for uniform tenderness.
3. Steam fixation: High-temperature steam rapidly deactivates enzyme activity to lock in green color and fresh flavor.
4. Tea cooling and airing: Cool leaves with strong wind to remove surface moisture.
5. Drying and shaping: Dry leaves in dedicated tencha dryers (infrared + hot air) without rolling.
6. Stem-leaf separation: Separate tea leaves from stems. The leaves become tencha, while stems are used for other purposes.
三,Tencha vs Sencha
• Tencha: Grown under shade, no rolling, flaky leaf form; used to produce matcha, deeper green hue and fresher flavour.
• Sencha: Grown without shading, rolled into tight strips; brewed directly, bright and brisk aroma.
四,Tencha vs Matcha
• Tencha: Base crude tea in flake form, which requires grinding.
• Matcha: Refined product of tencha via ultrafine pulverization, fine powder ready for direct brewing.
