Tea

Types of Japanese tea we stock

Each type of Japanese tea has a character of its own, shaped by how the leaves are grown, harvested and processed.

Our sencha is a good place to start. It's the tea most people in Japan drink every day. It's light, slightly sweet and a little grassy, with a clean finish that works hot or iced. We carry a superior grade and a first-flush version in tea bags for when you want something quick but still worth savouring.

Gyokuro is shade-grown, which gives it a richer, almost savoury depth. Think umami with a lingering sweetness. It's one of the most prized loose leaf Japanese teas and worth the slower brewing it needs.

For something roasted, try houjicha. The leaves are fired at high heat until they turn a deep amber. The result is smoky and mellow, low in caffeine, and easy to drink after a meal or late in the evening. We also stock houjicha sesame tea bags, for the nuttiness of roasted sesame paired with houjicha's toasted warmth.

Genmaicha blends sencha with puffed, toasted brown rice. It has a comforting, cereal-like quality, almost like warm popcorn, and a lighter body than most Japanese green teas.

If you're interested in matcha, we carry superior grade alongside certified organic AA and AAA grades. The organic AAA matcha has a naturally sweet, creamy taste with no bitterness and is good whisked traditionally or in a latte.

We also stock Japanese herbal teas and a mixed assortment of tea bags if you'd rather try a few types before committing to a favourite. And if you already know your way around a kyusu or chasen, browse our tea sets and equipment.

How to brew Japanese tea at home

Temperature and timing influences everything with Japanese tea. Most traditional Japanese teas are brewed at lower temperatures than black tea, typically between 60°C and 80°C. They're also steeped for shorter periods. Too hot or too long and you'll draw out bitterness that shouldn't be there.

Sencha does well at around 70–80°C for 60 to 90 seconds. Gyokuro needs cooler water still (closer to 60°C) and a patient two-minute steep to coax out its sweetness. Houjicha and genmaicha are more forgiving. Both can handle near-boiling water and will reward you with a full, roasted aroma after about 30 seconds.

For matcha, sift a gram or two of powder into a bowl, add a small splash of 80°C water and whisk briskly with a bamboo chasen until it froths. The whole process takes under a minute, and the taste is entirely different from a teabag in a mug.