Sencha Hiki

Green teas all share one important characteristic-they are never allowed to oxidize.  This is the primary trait that distinguishes green teas from other types of teas and it is achieved by heating the leaf soon after it is harvested.  The method used to heat the leaf plays an important role in determining the tea’s overall character. Sencha is always steam heated, preserving the leaf’s herbaceous, vegetal qualities.

Although over 110,000 tons of tea are grown in Japan each year, Japan produces only green teas, 80% of which is Sencha. A majority of our flavored green teas are made using a Sencha base, like our Blueberry Pomegranate.

There are a lot of options when it comes to successful Sencha pairings. You can never go wrong serving it with Japanese food, particularly seafood or miso soup. It does well with poultry, rice dishes (like stir fry) and even chocolate. We hosted a tea and cheese pairing at our Davis Islands location and paired our Sencha Hiki  with an herb crusted Spanish goat cheese (Capricho de Cabro).  It was a sensational pairing. The cheese complimented the tea’s astringency and herbaceous notes beautifully.

We recommend steeping Sencha Hiki for only 45 seconds at 160°.  It is incredibly delicate and can quickly develop a bitter flavor if steeped too long or using water that is too hot.  You are definitely going to want to set a timer for this one, but when steeped correctly it is truly exceptional.

Ingredients: Green tea.