The Japanese tea catalogue overseas buyers should know
Each tea style has distinct production methods, price points, and applications:
- Sencha (煎茶) — the workhorse of Japanese green tea; ~80% of all Japanese green tea production. Steamed leaves, rolled, dried. Range from everyday quality to premium first-flush 'shincha'.
- Gyokuro (玉露) — premium shaded green tea (3+ weeks shading); intensely umami; small production (~250 t/yr). Top-end Yame and Uji gyokuro is among Japan's most expensive teas.
- Kabusecha (かぶせ茶) — partially shaded (1 week or so); flavour profile between sencha and gyokuro. Niche but growing overseas interest.
- Tencha / matcha (碾茶/抹茶) — see dedicated trend pages on supply shortage and grading.
- Genmaicha (玄米茶) — sencha or bancha blended with roasted brown rice; toasty profile; lower caffeine due to dilution.
- Hojicha (ほうじ茶) — see dedicated trend page; roasted green tea, lower caffeine, distinctive caramel-toasted profile.
- Bancha (番茶) — later-flush leaves; lower price; volume product for everyday Japanese consumption.
- Kukicha (茎茶) — stem tea; by-product of premium sencha/gyokuro processing; sweet mellow flavour.