The method of brewing sencha – including Fukamushicha (deep-steamed green tea) and kukicha (steamed green tea with stems) – in this article is an example of CHAMART’s way which is easy, delicious and economical.

There are many ways to brew Sencha.
It is better to adjust the temperature of the water, amount of tea and brewing time depending on the tea (area of production, plucking time of tea leaves, etc.). Thus, please find your own favorite method while enjoying tea.
When brewing the tea, it is recommended to drink the tea within the same day.

Left: Fukamushicha brewed with cold water
Right: Sencha brewed with cold water

When brewed tea with cold water or ice, the color of the tea liquor is more clear than when brewed with hot water. Additionally, the taste has less bitterness and astringency, but it has an intense, strong umami and rich taste.
*Umami is the fifth taste after sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The main component of umami is glutamic acid of amino acid, etc.

How to brew Sencha and Fukamushicha with cold water
Filter in bottle which can contain 750ml of water
2 or 3 heaped teaspoons of sencha (medium-steamed green tea) or fukamushicha (deep-steamed green tea) (about 5〜7g)
750ml of mineral water or cooled boiled water
*If using tap water, please boil the water in order to remove chlorine. Once the water boils, please continue boiling for 3 to 5 minutes. Then, cool down the water.

Left: Sencha (medium-steamed green tea)
Right: Fukamushicha (deep-steamed green tea)

How to brew:
Put water and the tea leaves in the bottle and cool it in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Left: Sencha Right: Fukamushicha

Immediately after putting water and the tea leaves
Left: Sencha Right: Fukamushicha

2 hours after placing the bottles in the refrigerator
Left: Sencha Right: Fukamushicha

Add mint leaves or fruit
Cold brew Sencha and Fukamushicha go well with mint leaves, dried fruit or fresh fruit such as pineapple or orange because the taste of the tea has less bitterness and astringency.
If adding green perilla leaves to cold brew Sencha and Fukamushicha, you will feel the umami taste become stronger.

Left: Cold brew Fukamushicha with mint leaves
Right: Cold brew Sencha with dried fruit

*If you over brew the tea, and it tastes too strong, please adjust the taste by adding some hot or cold water.

*Tea leaves contain caffeine. The diuretic, stimulant and anticancer effects of caffeine intake are clinically recognized. On the other hand, excessive intake of caffeine may have a damaging effect on health. Especially, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and children should be careful with the amount of caffeine they intake.

Reference: 
農林水産省 カフェインの過剰摂取について
https://www.maff.go.jp/index.html
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/syouan/seisaku/risk_analysis/priority/hazard_chem/caffeine.html
公益社団法人日本茶業中央会(2013) 新版 茶の機能: ヒト試験から分かった新たな役割 第一刷 一般社団法人農山漁村文化協会
大森正司、阿南豊正、伊勢村護、加藤みゆき、滝口明子、中村羊一郎編(2017) 茶の事典 初版第一刷 朝倉書店
高野實、谷本陽蔵、富田勲、中川致之、岩浅潔、寺本益英、山田新市 (2005) 緑茶の事典 改訂3版 柴田書店