2026 SENCHA SOUL | Ming Dynasty Style Steamed Green

A gentle yet very flavourful green tea reminiscent of a distant past. In the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor promoted the consumption of loose leaf tea instead of the powder that was popular in the Song Dynasty. Handcrafting techniques involved steaming and drying over charcoal.  

This older style of tea evolved in Japan into what we currently know as sencha. The older type, however, involves very careful handpicking, longer steaming, and no rolling into needles.

TASTING EXPERIENCE: this is one of the gentlest, most transparent steamed teas we've tried. Notes of sweet green grapes and edamame.

ORIGIN:  GuZhu Mountain, Changxing, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China

GPS:  31.0ºN 119.8ºE

HARVEST DATE:  late April, 2026

Grower:  Zhang Wen Hua (on the right end of this picture) is a farmer and a scholar, devoted to preserving old tea traditions. Her tea trees, many of which are over 80 years old, are located in a valley surrounded by mountains, covered by protected national forest. She is very happy to share tea and the culture around it.

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BREWING SUGGESTION:  just like for its pan-fired counterparts, we recommend using a glass beaker to brew this particular steamed tea.; this method requires awareness throughout a few minutes, but allows you to enjoy the beautiful tea leaves in many ways.

In a beaker with 2g of tea, add enough water at 85ºC to cover the leaves completely and swirl lightly.  This is a very good moment to appreciate the aroma of the leaves.  After perhaps 45 seconds, when the leaves are hydrated, add another 200 ml of hot water (also ~90ºC).  Allow the tea to brew for another 3 minutes.  

Decant slowly into your cup, leaving perhaps 25% of the liquid in your beaker; you may get a leaf or two in your cup; eat them.  

Please refill your beaker, this time with boiling water, to enjoy another steep.  You may repeat this process 3-4 times.

Grower on the map