Attention Green Tea Lovers! Shincha, Japan’s Most Coveted Tea is HERE

The First Flush (AKA the Freshest & most Flavourful) Green Tea is In

Get ready, our 2022 batch of Sincha (新茶) has arrived. Every year tea lovers around the globe eagerly await the release of this uniquely prepared tea. 

But why is this tea so special? Keep reading to find out! 

What is Shincha?

Shincha is a distinct tea for two reasons:

1. Preparation

Unlike most of the tea we regularly drink, Sincha’s tea leaves are the very first ones picked in the harvest season (also known as first flush). These leaves are the youngest and most tender.

Each additional picking yields a different flavour and aroma (due to the changing nature of the growing season).

2. Taste

The first flush tea leaves are known to produce the purest, freshest, and most vibrant tea flavours.  

Fun fact: Shincha literally translates to “new tea” because of its early harvest.

How is Shincha Different from Sencha?

Shincha tea actually comes from the same plant that produces Sencha tea (Japan’s most popular green tea). 

• The first tea leaf picking produces Shincha tea
• The remaining tea leaf pickings in the season produce Sencha tea

Although they come from the same plant, the harvest timing makes quite a difference. As a result, there are a few key distinctions between shincha and sencha.

When is Shincha Harvested?

The Shincha picking season is usually late April - early May.

The window for Shincha production is short lived. Once the plant’s sprouts reach the right age to harvest, they must be picked immediately (usually no more than three days). In some cases, an extra day can even mean the difference between harvesting Shincha and Sencha. Once the Shincha tea leaves are harvested, they need to be processed the same day.

Japanese Tradition: Shincha harvested on Hachiju-Hachiya (the eighty-eighth night of spring) is believed to bring you good health throughout the following year. 

What is Temomi Shincha?

“Temomi” is  a traditional Japanese practice of hand-rolling tea leaves into needle-like thin sticks. So “Temomi Shincha” is Shincha that has been hand-rolled by artisans.

Temoi is becoming increasingly more rare as modern production methods increase. It’s mesmerising to see in action as we were lucky enough to do a few years ago: 

What does Shincha look like?

The tea leaves are emerald green. After adding hot water, the tea becomes a greenish, golden colour (depending on the temperature of the water). The hotter the water, the more astringent the tea.

How do you Make Shincha Tea?

There’s a fine art to making the perfect cup of tea. And with a few minor tweaks, you can slightly adjust the flavour to your specific desires. 

To draw our Shincha’s sweet taste, we suggest: 

1. Bring the kettle to a full boil 
2. Pour hot water into an additional cup or bowl to let it cool slightly
3. Get your teapot ready by adding 5-6 grams of Shincha tea leaves
4. Once the water has cooled to 170°F (80°C) – this is about 3 minutes – pour it into our teapot, over the tea leaves
5. Let the tea brew for 45 seconds - 1 minute
6. Pour the tea into your cup & enjoy!

But, if you want to draw out the pointed, grassy aroma of Shincha, try:

1. Bring the kettle to a full boil 
2. Pour hot water into an additional cup or bowl to let it cool slightly
3. Get your teapot ready by adding 5-6 grams of Shincha tea leaves
4. Once the water has cooled to 194°F (90°C) – this is about 1.5 minutes – pour it into our teapot, over the tea leaves
5. Let the tea brew for about 20 seconds
6. Pour the tea into your cup & enjoy!

Get Your Batch of 2022 Shincha While it’s Still Available! 

Here at The Tea Haus, we still have some limited inventory of this year’s Shincha shipment. 

Sweet & smooth – this is a blend you’re going to want to try for yourself. Trust us, it really does live up to the hype. 

But once it’s sold out, it won’t be available until an entire year from now. So shop Shincha while you still can right here. 

SHOP SHINCHA NOW>>

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