Covering the bushes starves the leaf of light, which stops it converting theanine into catechins and leaves a tea with far more savoury depth and far less bitterness than sencha. Brewed properly the liquor is deep green and almost broth-like, tasting of kelp, sweet corn and butter, with a sweetness that sits at the back of the tongue for minutes afterwards. This is not a thirst-quencher; it is meant to be drunk slowly in small cups. Use plenty of leaf, water at fifty to sixty degrees and two minutes, then steep it again.
The everyday green tea of Japan, from first-flush Shizuoka leaf. Bright and grassy with a clean, sweet finish. Hot water turns it sharp, so keep it low.
The best-known green tea in China, from the hills by West Lake. Flat jade leaves give a mellow, chestnut-sweet cup. Pan-firing keeps it toasty rather than grassy.
Shaded Uji leaf, stone-ground to a bright green powder. Whisked rather than steeped, it gives a thick, creamy bowl. Deep umami with no bitterness.
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