Shincha (新茶), literally "new tea", represents the first month's harvest of Sencha, a Japanese green tea.
Basically, it is the same as ichibancha (一番茶),
"the first-picked tea," and is characterized by its fresh aroma and
sweetness. Use of the term "ichibancha" rather than "shincha" generally
infers its difference from "nibancha" ("the second-picked tea") and
"sanbancha" ("the third-picked tea"). Use of the term "shincha"
generally is to emphasize that it is that year's earliest tea, and is
timely and seasonal.[1]
The opposite term is kocha (古茶), or "old tea," referring to tea left over from the previous year.[2]
Besides the fresh aroma of the young leaves, shincha is characterized
by its relatively low content of bitter catechin and caffeine, and
relatively high content of amino acid.[4]
Shincha is available only for a limited time. The earliest batch,
from southern Japan, comes on the market around late April through May. It is prized for its high vitamin content, sweetness, and grassy flavor with resinous aroma and minimal astringency.
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