Shincha (新茶) is Japan's first-flush tea: the earliest picking of ichibancha, the year's first harvest. Leaf picked before extended spring sun exposure is described by growers as having a higher theanine-to-catechin ratio, giving it a rounder, less astringent character than later flushes. Picking begins in Kagoshima in early April and moves north into May, with exact dates shifting yearly by weather.
Water at 50–60°C, steeped 90–150 seconds — that's roughly half the temperature and twice the time of sencha. Weeks of pre-harvest shading raise theanine and hold back catechin in the leaf, so a cool, unhurried steep pulls out umami and sweetness rather than the bitterness and astringency that hot water would draw out instead.
Sencha brews best at roughly 70–80°C for 60–90 seconds, using about 2–3g of leaf per 100ml of water. Cool the water before it touches the leaf, pour in slow circles to divide cups evenly, empty the pot fully, then steep a shorter second cup with slightly hotter water.
Mizudashi is Japan's cold-steep method: cold or room-temperature water and a wait, usually 2 to 10 hours in the refrigerator depending on the recipe, rather than hot water and a quick steep. Because catechins and caffeine dissolve far less readily in cold water than the umami amino acid theanine does, the result tastes sweeter and rounder — which is why it suits high-theanine leaves like gyokuro and high-grade sencha especially well.
Hojicha caffeine reports (roughly 5–20mg per cup) differ by serving size, leaf part, roast degree and brewing method — not because any single figure is wrong.
All Japanese teas come from one plant. Sencha = everyday steamed leaf; matcha = stone-ground shaded leaf; gyokuro = shaded luxury leaf; hojicha = roasted and mellow; genmaicha = blended with toasted rice.
