Sencha or gyokuro? How they differ and which to choose
Sencha grows in the sun, gyokuro in the shade. A comparison of the flavour, brewing and price of Japan's two most important green teas.
1 min read, 14 October 2026
Both are Japanese green teas, steamed right after the harvest, from the same plant and often from the same regions. What sets them apart is how they grow in the last weeks before the harvest, and with it their flavour, price and the way they're brewed.
Sun or shade
Sencha grows in full sun. Its leaves produce plenty of catechins, so the flavour is fresh and grassy, with a light, pleasant bitterness. For about three weeks before the harvest, gyokuro grows under mats that block most of the light. In the shade, the leaves build up theanine and chlorophyll, and the flavour becomes sweet, dense and distinctly umami.
In the cup
- Sencha: fresh grass, green peas, sometimes a hint of the sea. A light, yellow-green infusion.
- Gyokuro: broth, seaweed, sweet cream. A pale but dense infusion, almost oily.
Brewing
- Sencha: 4 g to 150–200 ml, water at 70–80°C, 60 seconds, 3 infusions.
- Gyokuro: 5 g to 60 ml, water at 50–60°C, 2 minutes, 4 infusions.
Price
Shading means extra work and a smaller yield, so gyokuro usually costs two or three times as much as a good sencha.
Which to choose
For every day and to begin with: sencha. For a quiet afternoon when you want to focus on a single cup: gyokuro. Best of all, compare the two: brew sencha at 70°C, then gyokuro at 55°C. You'll taste the difference with the first sip.
In our shop: Sencha Kagoshima, first-harvest Sencha Yabukita and Gyokuro Uji.
