Sencha is one of the most popular types of Japanese green tea. It delicious green tea that comes out in a refreshing strong flavor. It is an amazing drink that you can enjoy both cold and hot. Since it is a green tea, it does contain around 20 to 30 milligrams of caffeine per cup. However, if you do steep sencha longer, it can reach up to 75 milligrams of caffeine in a cup.
What is Sencha?
Sencha is a type of Japanese green tea that pretty much served everywhere in Japan. It is made by steaming and then rolling the tea leaves of Camellia sinensis plant. It is well known for their bright clear green color and refreshing yet grassy taste. The tea leaves are steamed to help keep the leaves green and full of flavor, it is then rolled and dried to help process the tea leaves into the final product that you see.
Regardless of whether you are a tea connoisseur or someone who is just trying out something that is new, sencha is a great choice of tea to drink. You can enjoy sencha tea both hot or cold. A lot of people would describe the taste of sencha to be slightly grassy, vegetal with a hint of sweetness and astringency. The taste of sencha can really depend on many factors such as the quality of the tea leaves, how it was processed and how the tea was brewed.
When brewed, sencha gives off a nice grassy, fresh and light scent. Some people might even suggest that it smells similar to seaweed, has a marine aroma or even like fresh cut grass. Much like the taste, the aroma can also be influenced by the processing.
Caffeine Content in Sencha
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that you can find in drinks such as tea and coffee. When consumed, caffeine acts as a stimulant that can temporarily ward off your tiredness and promote alertness. While it can help you focus, excessive consumption of caffeine can lead to side effects such as anxiety, insomnia and even an increased heart rate.
It is recommended that a healthy adult ingest no more than 400mg of caffeine a day. This is considered to be around 10 cups of tea or 4 cups of coffee. It is important to know that caffeine tolerance is different from person to person. Therefore it is important you know your own tolerance and drink in moderation.
Much like regular tea, the caffeine content in sencha can vary depending on the quality of the tea leaves, how the tea is processed, temperature of the water the tea was brewed in and how long the tea leaves were brewed for. On average, a cup of sencha tea contains around 20 to 30mg of caffeine.
While caffeine can give you the energy boost and increase focus, it might also cause jitters and anxiety. However, green tea (including sencha) can give you energy without causing that ‘racing in your heart’ feeling that is often felt by people who consume caffeine. This is because there is theanine in green tea and that helps inhibit the absorption of caffeine to your brain, thereby slowing down the effects of caffeine on your body.
If you are looking for a green tea that has more caffeine content, I would recommend you try out matcha. This is because matcha is made from the entire leaf, instead of brewing tea by steeping the tea leaves. The tea leaves in matcha are grounded into fine powder and dissolved into your tea to be drank. In addition, good matcha leaves are grown in the shade, this allows for the leaves to produce more caffeine. On average, a cup of matcha would contain around 35mg of caffeine compared to the 20 to 30mg of caffeine in sencha.
If you are looking for a similar tea that has less caffeine, I would recommend hojicha. It is basically sencha that has been roasted to give a distinct taste. The roasting process decreases the caffeine, making it a good choice of tea to drink for those of you who are sensitive to caffeine.
Bottomline
If you are looking for an alternative for your daily cup of coffee or want to just cut down on your caffeine consumption, I believe sencha is a delicious choice for you. It has a slightly more milder taste than regular green tea and feels so refreshing. Give it a try and let me know what you think!