Sencha of the Earth

Having gained a taste for plain, inexpensive green teas, it took me quite a while longer to learn to love some of the subtler or more complex brews, such as from better-quality Japanese sencha. Their flavours, sometimes characterised as ‘grassy’ or ‘sappy’ once struck me as somehow cloying on the palate; whereas now I thoroughly enjoy them.

The one shown above is an Obubu ‘Sencha of the Earth’, bought from What-Cha. I don’t know what makes it qualify as ‘of the Earth’ moreso than any other tea. The producer’s website describes it as “medium-bodied with a smooth quality. It creates a delicate bronze-hued liquor with a hay-like aroma mixed with light notes of chamomile. The taste is decidedly floral with a strong aftertaste evocative of honeysuckles.”

The cup in the picture is also Japanese, one of two survivors of a set of four I bought from John Lewis ten years ago.