Good VS. Bad Chinese Sencha

 INTRODUCTION. 

About 2 years ago, I got tea from a family friend. 250g Chinese Sencha. I tried it and wasn’t too thrilled, but since I didn’t have any previous experience with sencha, I knew I had to compare it to sencha from a specialized teashop. Without further ado we go to what you came for, Analysis. 

If you are to lazy to read but are interested, skip to the Conclusion! 

TEA SPECIFICATIONS. 

Before we get started with the technical aspects a little introduction. Both teas are Chinese Sencha. Cheaper tea we will call Tea 1, and more expensive of course Tea 69 (I'm kidding, it will be Tea 2 not to confuse you) To give you the specifications of each: 

Tea 1: 
Type: Sencha 
Country: China 
Province: Unknown 
Price: $1.31 USD / 100g(3.5oz)
 
TEA 1.
Tea 2: 
Type: Sencha 
Country: China 
Province: Zhejiang 
Price: $11.26 USD / 100g(3.5oz)
 
TEA 2


How I brewed the tea: 
Water temperature: 75°C (167°F)
Amount of tea: 3g 
Amount of water: 150g 
Steeping time: 3 min 
 
Method of evaluation: In each category, I give each tea a rating from 1 to 10, at the end of the analysis, all grades of each tea are added up and the total grade of tea is calculated as a percentage. 
 

ANALYSIS. 

Appearance and smell of dry leaves: 

Tea 1 is definitely smaller in appearance, the tea leaves are smaller, more chopped, and have more than 15% very fine crumbs. In contrast, Tea 2 had larger leaves, and the twigs were more noticeable. Smell of dry leaf in a hot cup: Tea 1 had a sharper and stronger smell and Tea 2 was a slightly milder smell and more pleasant. The difference is not too big, and both are relatively pleasant smelling. 

Tea 1 grade: 6 

Tea 2 ratings: 9 

Smell of wet leaf after steeping: 

This time we start with Tea 2. Tea 2 had a somewhat pungent smell, but not aggressive. The smell was complex and relatively pleasant. Tea 1 had a less pungent aroma, but aggressive probably because in Tea 1 the vegetal and grassy aroma was more pronounced, which I personally am not prone to. 

Tea 1 grade: 5 

Tea 2nd grade: 8.5 

 

TEA 1.
TEA 2.


 

Appearance and smell of liquid:


Tea 1 had a stronger yellow-green color, and was significantly cloudier. The smell of Tea 1. is equal to the smell of wet leaves except that it is a little milder. Also during soaking I also noticed that foam was developing on the surface which I didn’t really like. Tea 2 had a lighter and milder color, it was less cloudy. As for his scent, Tea 2 was a little more aggressive but still pleasant. * The rating in this category will be mostly based on color. * 

Tea 1st grade: 7 

Tea 2nd grade: 8
 

TEA 2.
TEA 1.

  

Tea taste: 

I find this category quite interesting considering that so far the teas have not been so different. Tea 1 tasted quite bitter and even somewhat acidic, but the sencha taste was present. I also noticed that the bitterness of the tea was taking over my tongue, and lingered on my tongue. Tea 2 tasted much milder and the bitterness of the tea was almost imperceptible. It tasted vegetal, of course, but nothing too bad. 

Tea 1 grade: 4 

Tea 2 grade: 8 

FINAL ASSESSMENT: 

Tea 1st grade: 55/100 

Tea 2nd grade: 83.75 / 100 

CONCLUSION 

To be honest with you, I didn’t really expect this. The difference between the two teas is not huge, although if Tea 1 was the only option for green tea in the teahouse, I would not buy it. The bitterness is too much and it bothers me. Tea 2 is still more complex and has more qualities to it. Admittedly, Tea 2 is not supreme quality Sencha, but much better than Tea 1. I do not want to name any of these teas, but if you are still VERY interested in which teas they are, contact me on Instagram: @xin.novicha or send me e-mail 

My advice: 

My conclusion would be that if you are not very sensitive to the taste of tea, feel free to buy cheaper tea, but still watch out for the manufacturer! If you are worried about the quality of tea and want to know exactly where it comes from, it is worth spending a little more on better tea. I also have no doubt that blending and chemicals were present in the production of Tea 1...



But in the end: To each his own.

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