Sencha vs Longjing
The benchmark green tea of Japan against the benchmark green tea of China. One processing decision in the first hours after picking accounts for nearly everything that separates them.
tea
What is being compared
Why these get confused
Both are simply 'green tea' on most menus, which hides the fact that steaming and pan-firing produce two genuinely different drinks.
Point by point
| Aspect | Sencha | Longjing |
|---|---|---|
| How the leaf is fixed | Steamed, within hours of picking. | Pan-fired in a heated wok, and shaped flat at the same time. |
| What that does | Preserves chlorophyll and the leaf’s green, marine character. | Adds a toasted note through direct contact with hot metal. |
| Flavour | Seaweed, fresh grass and a savoury umami depth. | Toasted chestnut, sweet grass and a clean finish. |
| Colour of the liquor | Vivid green, sometimes cloudy depending on steaming depth. | Pale yellow-green and clear. |
| Brewing temperature | Around 70 °C. Hotter water turns it bitter quickly. | Around 80 °C, and rather more forgiving. |
| Shelf life | Short. Japanese green tea is at its best within months and is usually refrigerated. | Also short, though pan-firing leaves it slightly more stable than steamed leaf. |
| If you dislike it | The marine note divides people sharply. | The nuttiness is not to everyone’s taste either. |
The short answer
If you like green tea to taste marine and savoury, sencha. If you like it nutty and toasted, Longjing. Almost everything else about them follows from that one step — which is also why it is worth trying both before concluding anything about green tea as a whole. People who dislike one of them frequently like the other.
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