Gyokuro, Sencha and Matcha Differences

What is the difference between gyokuro, sencha, and matcha?

They vary in the way they are grown and harvested.

Gyokuro

The tea plants are shaded from direct sunlight for approximately 3 weeks before the spring harvest. After harvesting the leaves are rolled and dried naturally.

Gyokuro is slightly sweeter than sencha and has is famous for its crisp, clean taste.

 

Sencha

The most common green tea, about 75% of all teas harvested in Japan is sencha.

Healthy, aromatic, and delicious. Despite its reputation as a "common" tea sencha is highly variable in quality and price.

Matcha

Finely ground gyokuro leaves.

Matcha differs from gyokuro in that the leaves are not rolled at all.

After steaming, the leaves are thoroughly dried. This is tencha.

Tencha leaves are then ground into a super fine powder, and that powder is what is known as matcha. Matcha is the tea of chanoyu (Japanese Tea Ceremony) and whips into a thick, invigorating brew. An excellent morning tea, or an energizing beverage before any form of exercise.