Description
Fukamushicha – Deep-Steamed Japanese Sencha
Rich, vivid, and deeply expressive, Fukamushicha is a Japanese sencha distinguished by an extended steaming process that creates its characteristic deep green color, full body, and pronounced umami.
Fukamushi means deep-steamed. While standard sencha receives a shorter steaming, Fukamushicha is typically steamed for 60 seconds or longer to halt oxidation. The additional steaming softens the leaves, causing them to break into finer particles during subsequent rolling and processing.
That transformation is visible both in the dry leaf and in the cup. Fukamushicha has a finer, more fragmented appearance than lightly steamed sencha and produces a deep, often opaque green infusion as tiny leaf particles become suspended in the water.
The extended steaming also shapes the flavor. Expect a full-bodied, naturally sweet cup with rich umami, fresh vegetal depth, and a soft, satisfying texture. Compared with more lightly steamed Japanese green teas, Fukamushicha tends to emphasize richness and body rather than delicate clarity and pronounced astringency.
For an especially revealing comparison, taste Fukamushicha alongside our Organic Asamushicha. Asamushicha is lightly steamed, preserving greater leaf structure and producing a clearer, more delicate infusion. Fukamushicha takes sencha in the opposite direction: deeper steaming, richer color, fuller texture, and more concentrated umami.
Together, they demonstrate how one seemingly simple decision in Japanese tea production, the length of steaming, can dramatically change the experience in the cup.
Cultivate Taste Tea offers pure tea selected for the character of the leaf itself: no added sugar, candy, or flavorings. Our teas are packaged with consideration for environmental impact.
Suggested Steeping
Tea: 1 teaspoon
Water: 8 oz
Temperature: 140°F
Time: 1–2 minutes
Re-steep the leaves using shorter subsequent infusions to explore the tea’s evolving sweetness, vegetal depth, and umami.
