Matcha vs Sencha

Sencha and Matcha come from the same plant but have different growing conditions and processing methods, which makes them stand apart.

History

Green tea has been in Japan for centuries and brought by Eisai in 1191. He brought the tea seeds along with Zen Buddhists’ method of preparing green tea. He planted these seeds in the Kyoto temple and produced the highest quality of green tea at that time. It was regarded as a luxury symbol in his time. These green tea leaves are grown in shades to avoid frosting, and shading gives them a unique dark color. It is later grinded into a fine powder.

Matcha was the favorite before Sencha came in the 18th century. Sencha means roasting/simmering tea, and it was named after the processing method used by Baisao, who used to sell tea around Kyoto. Many tea sellers pan-fried their tea, but Baisao used to place whole tea in boiling water and let it simmer. Also, unlike Matcha, Sencha leaves are used as whole loose leaves and do not grinded into a fine powder.

Difference

Green tea appears to be the same for many people, but it has many varieties, and it depends on harvesting and processing methods. Sencha and Matcha are also different from each other in many ways, such as from growing to preparing.

Growing

The main difference you see between Matcha and Sencha is the color. It is due to the different growing methods the farmers adapt to achieve a certain color. Sencha is grown in full sunlight, which reduces the green color pigment in the leaves and makes the leaves dark greenish color. As for the Matcha, tea plants are kept in the shade for many days and only given limited sunlight. Lack of sunlight stimulates excess chlorophyll production in leaves, and leaves appear greener. When Match leaves are ground, it looks bright green as compared to Sencha leaves.

Processing

The processing also makes both green teas different from each other. After picking the matcha tea plant, leaves are separated from stems. After the steaming, cooling, and drying process, leaves are grinded into a fine powder, which is the final form and full of nutrients. Due to extra labor in processing, Matcha is highly-priced as compared to Sencha.

In the case of Sencha green tea, whole leaves, stems, and veins are picked. These are then boiled and simmered in water, which reduces the oxidation level. It is later dried and kneaded into small pieces. The final product you see is the loose leaves, which are wholly used when brewing tea.

Flavour and color

There is a visible difference in leaves color between the two teas. Due to the lack of sunlight in the Matcha case, it gets the bright green color. Whereas, Sencha gets the dark green color light due to exposure to sunlight.

In the final brewed tea, Secha has a light yellowish color, grassy aroma and has a strong taste, which leaves a pungent after-taste. It is refreshing and beneficial to health, just like Matcha. Matcha tea has a bright green color and creamy texture with no bitter after-taste.

Nutrients

Due to the difference in many stages of tea in both Sencha and Matcha, the nutrients in both teas are present in different varieties. Matcha is grown in the shade and therefore retains more caffeine and L-Theanine content. Both of these have relaxing and refreshing effects on your mood with health benefits. It has superiority over Sencha due to excess of these contents, which also gives you energy.

Sencha is beneficial because of the high number of antioxidants in its leaves. Leaves are not kept under the shade and are exposed to direct sunlight, which increases the production of antioxidants. These antioxidants are crucial and beneficial to your health. Therefore, Sencha is healthier compared to Matcha in its way.

Brewing Tea

Both teas have their own brewing rituals and tea sets. In the case of Sencha, you have to get the specially made tea set, which keeps the water at a set temperature when brewing the tea. When brewing Sencha, you have to keep the water at 70 degrees and let the tea leaves steep for a few minutes and then pour into tiny cups.

To make a Matcha tea, you need a bamboo whisk and a bowl. Add tea powder and boiling water in the bowl. Whisk the mixture until foamy and creamy. You can enjoy Matcha straight from the bowl or add variations according to taste. Matcha is widely used in foods as a taste and due to health benefits.