Tencha

Botanical & Ceremonial Context

Tencha is the prerequisite raw ingredient of authentic matcha. Unlike Sencha leaves which are rolled and bruised to extract juice for steeping, Tencha is harvested from 20-30 day shaded tea bushes, immediately steamed to arrest oxidation, air-cooled in expansive multi-level drying chambers, and stripped of all central veins and stems using air-winnowing machines. Only the delicate leaf flesh (parenchyma) is preserved for granite stone grinding.