Wazuka Tencha Yabukita Cultivar 2025052

Tencha is the unground leaf that becomes matcha.

It is a specialized type of green tea that is shaded before harvest, then steamed and dried without rolling. Unlike sencha or other green teas, tencha is never shaped or twisted, it is processed with one purpose in mind: to be milled into matcha.

Because of this, tencha is often described as “unfinished.” But in the tea world, it is also the true reference point for matcha quality and some people quite enjoy the taste as brewed tea.

When matcha is bought, sold, or judged in competitions, it is the underlying tencha that is evaluated. The powder is the final expression of what is already present in the leaf.

Preparation:

Producers and buyers use extraction-heavy brewing methods to amplify both strengths and flaws. This allows them to assess aroma, umami, bitterness, astringency, and structure before the tea is milled.

While practices vary across Japan, we recommend an evaluation ratio of: 37.5 grams of boiling water to per 1 gram of tencha.

Why we're selling tencha:

Tencha is not usually bought, sold, or thought of as a "product" (at least not in the past one hundred years). As more and more people want to learn more about matcha as a specialty product, we highly encourage everyone to become familiar with and taste tencha. This is especially important as more and more people buy their own matcha milling machines. 

We share as much information as possible about each tencha’s origin, cultivar, shading method, harvest, and processing, while also respecting producers who prefer to remain anonymous. Below, you’ll find every detail we’ve been entrusted to share about this tea, so you can understand not just how it tastes, but why.

Name: Wazuka Tencha 2025052

Weight: 20g

Price: $16.65

Terroir: Wazuka, Kyoto, Japan

Cultivar: Yabukita

Harvest: First harvest, 2025

Standards: JAS Organic