What is Shincha?

“Shin” means new, and “Cha” means tea. Shincha, often called the first flush tea, is made from the tea picked during the first harvest in the spring. A lot of Shincha is grown in southern regions such as Kagoshima, Uchimaki, Honyama, Makinohara, in the Shizuoka Prefecture. The first harvest of the year, is usually from April to May, produces the highest quality tea in Japan.

Shincha consists of the leaves from the first picking, and is comprised of the finest leaves. During the winter, the plant stores up minerals and nutrients, like amino acids. While the first leaves begin to bud, a higher level of these nutrients are released into the new growth. These extra nutrients allow for a sweeter tasted and a lower astringency. The reason behind the added sweetness is the higher concentration of chlorophyll and darker green leaves. The bushes are kept under 90 percent shade for 20 days prior to harvesting. Just as the first buds appear, the bushes are covered with bamboo reed or canvas mats and the amount of light is produced.

We only receive our Shincha tea once a year, and it usually takes us a few months to go through it all. If you enjoy a nice spring Japanese green tea, then you really have to try it before we’re out for another year. This year we will be bring back the Hashiri Shincha.

Look forward to seeing you at the shop.

Source: https://theartofjapanesegreentea.com/
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sencha#Shincha