What tencha is
Before matcha is matcha, it is tencha. Tencha is the leaf itself: shade-grown for about three weeks before picking, steamed, dried flat without rolling, and cleared of stems and veins. Grinding it between stones is what turns it into matcha. Because it is never rolled, it looks nothing like other loose teas. Instead of needles, you get thin, open, bright green flakes. Our Private Reserve tencha comes from Uji, south of Kyoto.
Steeping tencha tea
Tencha is light and bulky, so measure it by the spoonful rather than by eye. Use three tablespoons (7 to 8 g) for 8 ounces of water at 140 to 158°F, and steep for 1½ to 2½ minutes, ideally in a kyusu. The cup is pale and clear, with a bright, floral umami, closer to gyokuro than to sencha. It tastes like the leaf behind matcha, steeped, with nothing to whisk. The leaves usually take a second steep.
Grinding tencha leaves at home
Some customers grind these leaves in a home matcha grinder to make fresh matcha minutes before they drink it. Check your machine's guide first. A 100 g bag makes about 14 cups when steeped. For tencha already sealed in tea bags, see our Whole Leaf Matcha Tea Bags.
