Are you familiar with sencha? The name might sound unfamiliar. Yet, if you have a fondness for green tea, chances are you've already come across this Japanese tea. It's not just the most widely cultivated variety of green tea in Japan; sencha is also the most popular green tea in the West. Let's take a closer look at this beverage, which, translated, simply means "infused tea" (from sen, to serve or stir with hot water; and cha, tea).

Despite its widespread popularity, sencha is far from being an elitist type of tea, unlike Gyokuro or matcha. It can be found in all quality and price ranges: the darker and thinner the leaf, the higher the quality.

Sencha grows in full sun in wide fields. This makes it quite different from other Japanese green teas, which are protected from the light. Once it has grown well under the golden rays, the sencha is harvested and roasted, then dried and rolled. The last step is crucial: rolling the green tea leaves thinly helps to preserve their medicinal properties… as well as enhance their flavor!

How exactly? The answer was discovered by a man named Nagatani Soen. Apparently, rolling the leaves allows the cells to "open" (by breaking the cell walls). During brewing, this improves the extraction of both flavors and nutrients.

We say nutritional benefits and medicinal virtues – what do we mean, exactly? Well, sencha has several properties: its enzymes, vitamins and catechins help to maintain a good metabolism (and therefore to lose weight!) and to prevent diseases.

With so many health benefits for your body (and mind!), it's no wonder sencha is the most consumed green tea in both Japan and the West!