Sencha Sencha is Japans most popular tea. Sencha refers to the first pickings of the tea bush, which take place from late March in warm climates to the end of May in cooler areas. The glossy leaves of the tea bush are nearly uniform in size and impart a refreshing fragrance. The flavours that distinguish Sencha are a delicate sweetness and a mild astringency. All Sencha is high in vitamin C but not all Sencha is created equal. Quality ranges from fair to finest, which is rightly reserved for special occasions. Usually the finest is first flush, known as ""ichiban-cha"" or number one tea. This has a softer, more delicate character than second flush or ""niban-cha,"" which is plucked in June and in July and thus grows in stronger sunlight. Even the best Sencha is now mechanically harvested. It is manufactured by first killing the leaf by steaming, then repeated rolling and quick drying to obtain the needle-like leaf shape formerly known as Spiderleg. The taste is delicately herbaceous (or new mown as some say today) and quite un-like the vegetative taste characteristic of China greens. Quality and price vary. (Pratt 2010)
