Aracha vs Sencha

Aracha

Aracha is Japan's unrefined green tea: leaves are steamed and dried but not sorted, blended, or trimmed like finished sencha. The cup is rustic and lively — bolder grassy flavor, more marine edge, and a straightforward astringency that tea drinkers either love or leave. It is how tea looks before blending, and small-lot aracha is prized by enthusiasts who want a direct taste of a single field.

Sencha

Sencha is Japan's everyday green tea, made by steaming the leaves to lock in a vivid green color. The cup is fresh and grassy with a pleasant vegetal depth, a gentle sweetness, and a clean, slightly brisk finish. Higher grades from the first harvest (shincha) add a softer, more umami-rich body. It pairs naturally with food and handles a second steeping well.

Aracha

Water temperature

75–85°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

1–2 min

Re-steep

2 times

Sencha

Water temperature

70–80°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

1–2 min

Re-steep

2–3 times

Aracha

Medium caffeine — roughly 20–35 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Sencha

Medium caffeine — roughly 15–35 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Aracha

Japan · Shizuoka

Aracha is produced wherever sencha is made; Shizuoka accounts for roughly a third of Japan's tea output.

Sencha

Japan · Shizuoka

Shizuoka is Japan's largest tea-producing region, with Uji and Kagoshima also famous for sencha.