tea
estate
Ippodo Sencha Shogyokuro
Uji, Japan
About this product
Ippodo's Shogyokuro (Inviting Jade Dew) sencha is the finest unshaded green tea in their range — demonstrating what Uji's terroir produces when the plant is grown in full sunlight rather than shaded for matcha/gyokuro. Sencha's steamed processing (not pan-fired like Chinese green tea) produces a bright, vegetal character that is the backbone of Japanese tea culture. The Uji terroir is apparent even in the unshaded style: a mineral depth and clarity that distinguishes this from any non-Uji sencha.
The deductive profile Library
appearanceBright emerald-green liquor; clear; fine rolled needles in the leaf
noseClassic steamed sencha: fresh grass, young leaves, light marine note (absent shading, the marine is much lighter than gyokuro), slight sweetness, steaming's characteristic green-vegetal note that pan-firing does not produce
palateLight-medium body; the steaming process produces a distinctly different texture from pan-fired Chinese green tea — silkier, more enveloping, with a clean vegetal sweetness. The Uji terroir is present as a mineral clarity beneath the grass
finishClean, 30-40 seconds; fresh grass and light mineral
Service
brewing3g per 200ml at 70-75°C; 1 minute first infusion; 30-40 seconds second; multiple infusions possible
bc sourceIppodo online; Fujiya Japanese Market
food pairingAll Japanese cuisine; light seafood; vegetable-based preparations
water temperature70-75°C — higher than gyokuro but still below boiling; boiling water produces bitterness in steamed sencha
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Open The LibraryThe quality ladder Library
Premium Uji SenchaIppodo's finest sencha expression; Uji mineral terroir
Style ReferenceClassic Japanese steamed sencha benchmark
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Open The LibraryTasting profile
Classic steamed sencha: fresh grass, young leaves, light marine note (absent shading, the marine is much lighter than gyokuro), slight sweetness, steaming's characteristic green-vegetal note that pan-firing does not produce
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Pairings
complement
fish
Spring sencha and spring white fish: the same season's expression in different media
classic
starter
complement
food
Ippodo Sencha pairs with the crunchy pickled vegetables; both are clean and fresh summer Japanese refreshments
classic
casual
complement
vegetables
Spring vegetables and spring first-flush sencha: a meal built around seasonal synchronicity
classic
starter
cleanse
seafood
Sencha's clean astringency resets the palate between bivalves; the grassy note mirrors the clams' marine environment
established
starter
complement
seafood
Premium sencha's clean umami complements dashi-based custard without asserting itself
established
starter
complement
seafood
Ippodo Shogyokuro's bright premium sencha bridges the chilled tofu; both are cool, delicate, and summer-facing
established
casual
cleanse
sushi
Sencha's tannin and grassiness cleanse the palate between courses of oily fish, clearing residual fat while complementing rice vinegar with its own acidity.
established
any
complement
vegetable_japanese
Sencha's grassiness and dashi-like umami mirrors the bonito-dashi broth in agedashi tofu. Shared Japanese flavour language creates natural resonance.
established
starter