If you ask what Japanese green tea tastes like, the answer is almost always sencha. It is the reference point — the tea against which all others are understood. This article explains what sencha is, how it became Japan’s standard tea, and why its balance of sweetness, bitterness, and aroma defines everyday green tea. Sencha is Japan’s most common green tea, grown in full sunlight and brewed to balance theanine (sweetness) and catechins (bitterness). To understand how this fits into the broader system, see Japanese Green Tea Culture. Sencha as the Baseline of Japanese Tea Sencha is ...
