Sencha vs Matcha: Types of Japanese Green Tea

“Sencha (煎茶)” and “Matcha (抹茶)” are common types of “Ryokucha (緑茶)” or Japanese green tea, and in recent years, these tea beverages can be easily bought if you use a large online marketplace.

Sencha vs Matcha green tea

So today, for people who are not familiar with these Japanese green tea, Sencha and Matcha, I will give an overview of each of the 2 types. To make it easier for you to understand, here I will compare them as I do often.

Production

The tea leaves for Sencha are cultivated without shielding from the sun. After the leaves are harvested, they are first steamed, then rolled, shaped, and dried.

In contrast, the tea leaves for Matcha are covered to block the direct sunlight. The picked leaves are steamed, dried without rolling, and carefully ground into powder.

Forms

Both Sencha and Matcha are unfermented green tea. Sencha is available in various forms such as cans, PET bottles, tea bags, and powder, while Matcha usually comes in powder form.

Consumption

Sencha is the most consumed green tea in Japan. Sencha accounts for about 80 percent of Japan’s total production of green tea, while, as you know, Matcha makes up an indispensable part of “茶道 (Sado, or Chado)”, or Japanese tea ceremony.

Taste 

Sencha is basically refreshing, so easy to drink, thus favored by everyone, while Matcha is richer and deeper in taste and flavor than Sencha, so the green tea powder is often used in Japanese confections. 

Caffeine 

Since Matcha is prepared by dissolving the tea powder in hot water, the resulting green tea contains lots of caffeine compared to Sencha. 

(Reference Pages: Miyanoen, Senchado, Kyo-Chikiriya )