Chumushi sencha
The standard steaming depth for Japanese sencha, at roughly thirty to sixty seconds, sitting between asamushi and fukamushi. Most sencha sold without a steaming descriptor is this, which makes it the reference point the other two are defined against.
Character
The balance point of Japanese green tea: enough body to be satisfying, enough clarity to taste the cultivar.
- Flavour
- Grassy, Vegetal, Umami
- Aroma
- Marine, Fresh
- Mouthfeel
- Medium, Silky
- Complexity
- Moderate
- Notes
- fresh grass, seaweed, sweet pea
- Aftertaste
- Balanced, with a clean savoury finish.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- Japan
- Cultivar
- Yabukita
- Oxidation
- Unoxidised
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Steaming (Japanese fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 65–75 °C · 1 authored infusion
Kyusu brewing (Japanese style)
3–5 g/100 ml · 65–75 °C · 3 authored infusions
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
3–4 g/100 ml · 75–85 °C · 4 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Asamushi sencha
One variable, one step. Steaming time is the whole difference and it changes clarity, body and how long the tea forgives you.
- Fukamushicha
The far end of the same axis. Cloudy, thick and fast-extracting, with the top notes traded for body.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Uji sencha
Shares 7 descriptors with Chumushi sencha: umami, vegetal, grassy, medium, silky, marine and fresh.
- Yu Lu supreme grade
Shares 7 descriptors with Chumushi sencha: vegetal, grassy, umami, medium, silky, marine and fresh.
- Enshi Yu Lu
Shares 6 descriptors with Chumushi sencha: umami, vegetal, medium, silky, marine and fresh.
- Kagoshima sencha
Shares 6 descriptors with Chumushi sencha: vegetal, grassy, medium, silky, fresh and marine.
- Matcha usucha grade
Shares 6 descriptors with Chumushi sencha: umami, vegetal, medium, silky, marine and fresh.
- Sencha
Shares 6 descriptors with Chumushi sencha: grassy, vegetal, umami, medium, marine and fresh.