Kabusecha Tea: What is it and How to Prepare

What is Kabusecha (かぶせ茶)

Kabusecha is a combination of the words for cover (kabuseru), and tea (cha), meaning covered tea. It is also a combination of two words Kabuse and Sencha (type of Japanese green tea). Kabusecha is a higher quality version of Sencha. When brewed, Kabusecha has a pale yellow-green color and a mild astringent grass flavor but it also has a rich green tea flavor and a slightly sweet taste. Let’s learn more about this premium green tea.

Where does Kabusecha come from?

Tea was first mentioned in writing in Japan in the eighth century, when monks, diplomats, and traders introduced it. Japanese Buddhist monks also introduced tea further when they went to China and returned to Japan, but Sencha only emerged in 1735. Baisao (売錕濁), also known as Ko Yugai and a tea peddler in Kyoto, made tea called “sencha” or roasting/simmering tea.

Many Chinese tea makers pan-fried their teas, but Baisao used a method that involved immersing whole tea leaves in boiling water and letting them simmer.

Kabusecha is similar to Sencha but partially shaded, as its name describes. It comes from the Camellia Sinensis tea plant, and the Yabukita Cultivar is the most grown type of this plant. The largest Kabusecha-producing region is in Mie prefecture.

Kabusecha cultivation

Like growing Gyokuro, farmers grow Kabusecha under the shade and come from the same plant. The difference is that growing Kabusecha is half shorter (7 to 10 days) than Gyokuro (20 days). Unlike in Gyokuro where the farm nets serve as a ceiling for the plants, Kabusecha plants are covered by the nets get to still a bit of sunlight, air, and water. Compared to Bancha, Kabusecha has younger and smoother leaves, while Bancha ‘s leaves are coarser and larger with a solid and earthy flavor.

This special process yields a green tea that favorably blends the flavor and health benefits of un-shaded Sencha and shaded Gyokuro. Kabusecha is like the middle tea, a balance between Gyokuro and Sencha.

Growing Kabusecha in the shade instead of direct sunlight will make the leaves dark green. The greener the tea leaves, the more flavor it can retain when steeped. If you want a milder version of Gyokuro, but tastier green tea than Sencha, Kabusecha is the way to go.

Like Sencha and Gyokuro, Kabusecha has L-Theanine, a compound that gives the tea have a sweet taste. When the plants are shaded, less L-Theanine is converted into catechins/antioxidants, meaning the plants can keep more L-Theanine and the sweetness, than growing them under direct sunlight. Farmers pick and steam these young, fresh leaves instead of heating them in woks. Steaming helps to preserve the tea’s sweet and leafy taste as much as possible. Steaming also decreases oxidation. Then, these are rolled, dried, kneaded into small pieces, and packed in airtight packaging to keep the tea fresh. Despite having fewer catechins, green tea’s health benefits remain in Kabusecha.

The start of the idea about covering the tea plants

People started covering green tea leaves in the fifteenth or sixteenth century, and they did so for an intriguing reason. Farmers started covering crops with a canopy out of fear that the winter would damage the tea leaves as they grew. Usually, just before the crops began to sprout in late spring, they would cover them, not realizing the impact. When people realized how much the flavor of tea varied—from bitter to sweet and umami—covering green tea leaves became standard procedure. Indeed, this approach is crucial to discovering Matcha and other types of high-quality Japanese green teas.

Kabusecha vs other green teas

Since Sencha and Gyokuro were already mentioned, Kabusecha will be compared to Matcha and other green teas. Because of its unique qualities and unusual growth process, Kabusecha stands apart from other Japanese teas. Its distinctive properties are highlighted compared to other teas, particularly popular green teas such as Matcha, Gyokuro, and Sencha.

Kabusecha vs. Matcha:

They are from the same plant, but Matcha is grown shaded and ground into powdered form.

Here is a detailed comparison of Kabusecha with Sencha, Gyokuro, and Matcha:

The Shade:

Kabusecha – shaded for 7 to 10 days.

Sencha – no shade

Gyokuro – shaded for 20 days

Matcha – shaded for 3 to 4 weeks, then ground into a fine powder

Flavor and aroma:

Kabusecha – slightly sweet with a bit of astringent flavor

Sencha – more astringent and more bitter than Kabusecha

Gyokuro – very sweet with deep green tea aroma

Matcha – strong astringent flavor with rich umami, creamy and sweet flavor

Color of Leaves:

Kabusecha – dark green

Sencha – Lighter green

Gyokuro – Dark green but vivid

Matcha – light-yellowish green for culinary while vibrant green for ceremonial

Brewing method:

Kabusecha and Sencha are brewed with hot water (not boiling)

Gyokuro is brewed like Kabusecha and Sencha but with a lower hot water temperature and longer steeping time.

Matcha powder is being whisked with hot water using a bamboo whisk to create a frothy drink

Why drink Kabusecha?

You can enjoy an umami-rich taste of Gyokuro and the astringency of Sencha in Kabusecha. It is a pleasant experience to drink premium tea without spending much on Gyokuro. Sencha is a premium green tea, although Gyokuro has more umami than Sencha and can provide both teas’ qualities.

How to brew Kabusecha

Some Kabusecha tea products come with instructions, but some high-quality ones don’t. First, boil 8 oz. or 365 ml. of water. The suggested water temperature is 175 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius). If you don’t have a water thermometer, depending on how fast your electric kettle boils water, wait a few minutes to cool the water. Meanwhile, add 2 teaspoons to the small teapot (Kyusu), then pour the boiled water into it. Wait for 1.5 to 2 minutes for enough steeping time. After that, the tea can be served by slowly pouring it into on your Japanese teacups (Yunomi). Kabusecha is brewed longer than Sencha and at a higher temperature than Gyokuro.

Why wait for the water to cool down until it reaches 175 degrees Fahrenheit?

We don’t want to taste burned leaves; so pouring, boiled a few seconds ago, directly into the teapot to infuse the leaves is not recommended. Also, infusing the tea leaves at the right temperature will exude a full flavor. For the best taste, pour the tea into on the teacups because pouring it fast will make the leaves stuck on the filter, and almost all the flavor on the leaves cannot flow with the water when poured fast.

Kabusecha’s Health Benefits

Kabusecha has more caffeine, than Sencha, typically 20-30mg per 8oz cup, which can help with mental alertness and boost energy. The same goes for Bancha tea benefits. Drinking Kabusecha one to two hours before your workout can help you perform well. The few catechins in Kabusecha tea can speed up metabolism, making fat-burning easier. Kabusecha suppresses your appetite, but remember, tea is not a substitute for food, so do not forget to eat well and have a balanced diet.

Both catechins and caffeine can break down excess fat and increase energy when exercising to burn those extra calories. With the help of L-theanine, drinking Kabusecha can make you calm and relaxed. In addition, Kabusecha contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, E and K.

.Still rich in antioxidants, Kabusecha tea can reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes and certain types of cancer and boost the immune system.

Kabusecha with other foods

Kabusecha is good to pair with meals such as salmon and rice, Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets), sushi, and Senbei. If you are iron-deficient, it will be better to drink Kabusecha between meals, as green tea inhibits iron absorption. Some can do Gyokuro-Kabusecha cookies and green tea lattes (aside from Matcha).

Try drinking Kabusecha and be amazed at how this delicious and aromatic drink can make you feel good about yourself.

Tea that we carry that are mentioned in this blog:

Related Articles You May Be Interested