Japanese Green Tea

Question 1

What green tea is used for Matcha?

Answer 1

Base tea, Tencha

Question 2

When was Sencha tea developed?

Answer 2

1738- merchant named Soen Nagatani

Processing : steaming, hand-rolling and pan-firing / drying

Question 3

Sencha tea gardens- describe

Answer 3

Full sun grown.

side by side- long rows 2feet high x 492 feet long; trimmed round for machine plucking and higher yield

Question 4

When is Sencha tea plucked?

Answer 4

4 times year- in spring with machines- 45 day intervals (betwwen plucking)

Question 5

Describe Sencha processing

Answer 5

Plucked in Spring, leaves cleaned, sorted, steamed and dried (hot air tunnel), rolled (needle share) and dried again

Question 6

What 2 teas use Tencha as the core product?

Answer 6

Matcha and Gyokuro

Question 7

Where is Tencha grown ?

Answer 7

Uji region, Japan

Question 8

How is Tencha processed?

Answer 8

Steamed, cooled, and dried- Dried only in shade and never exposed to direct sunlight.

NOT rolled.

Essentially a dried leaf

Question 9

What is the legend of Genmaicha tea?

Answer 9

Samurai servant serving master tea- few kernels of rice fell into cup. Servant beheaded. Master loved the tea, felt bad about killing servant and named tea after him Genmai-cha

Question 10

The last plucking of Sencha is referred to as:

Answer 10

Bancha

Question 11

Hojicha is made from_____________

Answer 11

Bancha

Question 12

How was Hojicha discovered and when?

Answer 12

1920- Kyoto merchant had unsaleable Bancha so roasted it to create new flavour

Question 13

what is the processing of Hojicha green tea?

Answer 13

Roasted at 150C to prevent oxidation (not steamed like other Japanese teas)
Some speculate that it was a way to use leftover tea leaves and stems, and make low-grade tea more desirable. By roasting, leaves turn dark brown and emit a smoky aroma, which becomes quite popular among people.

Question 14

Which green tea is GROWN in the shade?

• Bancha
• Tencha
• Hojicha
• Gyokuro

Answer 14

Gyokuro- shaded during approx. 20 days before harvesting.

Question 15

what is the meaning of Gyokuro?

Answer 15

Pearl Dew

Question 16

When was Gyokuro tea developed?

• 17 century
• 1920
• 1835
• 1735

Answer 16

1835

Question 17

____% of Japan tea production is Gyokuro

90%
10%
1%
5%

Answer 17

1%

Question 18

Where is 40% of Gyokuro tea produced?

Answer 18

Yames region

Question 19

Why is Gyokuro shaded before the harvest? what is the effects?

Answer 19

Reduces the leaf photosynthesis; causing higher sugar, amino acids and flavanois

Question 20

What type of tea is authentic Matcha Tea made from?

Answer 20

Tencha- shade grown tea

Question 21

How is Matcha tea made?

Answer 21

Powdered Tencha tea
Young tea leaves are picked in early May and lightly steamed.
Leaves dried and stored in tea jars, allowed to season until November, then processed (devein, de-stem) only using meat part of leaf, then stone ground

Question 22

Which green tea is used for the Japanese tea ceremony?

Answer 22

Matcha tea only

Question 23

How much time to ground tea to make 30g of Matcha tea?

• 15 mins
• 1 hour
• 24 hours
• 2 hours

Answer 23

1 hour- grinding too fast= burnt taste

Final product is about 10% of original harvest