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Japanese

Sencha (Japanese green tea)

Vegetarian

煎茶 · sencha

Japan's everyday steamed green tea, brewed briefly in a small pot with cooled water for a bright, grassy, gently sweet cup — and re-steeped for a second round.

Sencha (Japanese green tea) is a Japanese hot drink, ready in about 7 minutes and made with green tea leaves. It serves 2 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Traditional Japanese teapot and cup of green tea on a wooden table.
Photo: Travel with Lenses / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
5 min
Cook
2 min
Total
7 min
Serves
2
Level
Easy
Calories
0

Ingredients

2 small cups

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Boil the water, then pour it into the two empty cups and from the cups into the empty teapot (opens in a new tab) (kyusu). Each transfer cools it by about 10 °C and warms the cups, bringing it to roughly 70–80 °C.

  2. Step 2

    Pour the water out of the pot, add the leaves, then pour the water back in. Steep for about 60 seconds without moving the pot.

    • 1 min

  3. Step 3

    Pour into the two cups a little at a time, alternating between them so both get the same strength, and drain every last drop — this stops the leaves stewing.

    • 1 min

  4. Step 4

    For a second infusion, add hotter water (about 85 °C) and pour after only 15–20 seconds; the leaves have already opened.

    • 1 min
    • 85°C · water

About this dish

Origin
Japan · Well documentedMore food from Japan
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method
Boiled
Taste
fresh, umami, bitter
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday
Cook more with
Green tea leaves
Techniques
Boiling · Stewing

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

0 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 150 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 0%
  • Carbohydrate 0%
  • Fat 0%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy0 kcal0 kcal
Protein0 g0 g
Carbohydrate0 g0 g
Net carbohydrate0 g0 g
Sugars0 g0 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0 g0 g
Fat0 g0 g
Saturated fat0 g0 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium3 mg2 mg
Salt equivalent0 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
0 mg
Calcium
15 mg
Iron
0 mg
Magnesium
3 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
0 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
0 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): green tea leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Deep-steamed (fukamushi) sencha needs only 30–40 seconds and gives a darker, cloudier cup.

Common mistakes

  • Using boiling water and long steeps — green tea turns bitter and astringent.

Storage

  • Brew to order. Keep the dry leaves airtight, away from light, and use within a month or two of opening.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & Blend

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The body of the dish

Gravy, sauce & base

Used in steps 1, 2

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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